Category Archives: Education

Education

Simple Ways You Can Prepare Your Child to Start a New School

Starting a new school can be an extremely stressful situation for a child – and it can be just as hard for parents to feel powerless to help them. At CodeREV Kids, we know that most kids will eventually transition into a new school just fine, but we’ve found some direct actions you can take that will help them along the way.

Get your child as much first-hand knowledge as possible

Much of the anxiety that comes along with starting a new school is the fear of the unknown. The more information you can give them, the better – and if you can do it in person, that’s ideal. Ask the school if you can tour it with your child. See if you can visit the classroom before or after school before the official start date. Find out if your child can meet with the teacher. Something as simple as playing on the playground can make a child feel more comfortable. When they can picture their new school, they may feel less worried.

Find ways to find friends

Of course, many kids are most afraid that they won’t find new friends at their new school. As a parent, there’s a lot you can do about this too. For example, ask the school if there are any parents willing to arrange a play date. You can also sign them up for extracurricular activities, such as coding classes. Even if the new friends they make don’t go to the same school, it will boost your child’s confidence that they’re capable of making new friends.

Buy them some cool new school supplies

Head out to your local school supply store with a list in your hand and let your child pick out the colors and styles they want. Let them pick out some cool new pens and pencils, allow them their choice of notebooks. As you’re purchasing these items, talk about the types of things they’ll use these new tools to learn. And of course, don’t forget to buy them some cool clothes for their first day of school!

Most kids starting a new school would be anxious. As a parent, you likely can’t prevent this altogether but you can help ease their minds. Keep them involved in classroom activities even if you move during a break from school and before long they’ll have play dates all over town.

Education

How to Reinforce What Your Child Learns in a Coding Class

At CodeREV Kids, it’s been our experience that most parents want to be involved in their child’s education and extracurricular activities but they often struggle when it comes to coding for one simple reason: Many parents don’t know how to code themselves. While it would likely be worth your while to learn to do so, we understand that not every parent has the interest or time to do that. That’s why we’ve provided several ways you can help reinforce what your child has learned in their coding class.

Check up with them regularly

The easiest way to ensure that your kids are progressing is to ask them. You may not understand everything that goes on in their coding classes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask how they’re going. If they’re having trouble, talk them through it – and then talk to us so we can adjust their coding plan accordingly.

Keep in touch with us

Our goals are simple: To educate and inspire your child. If we’re not doing so, we want to know about it. Likewise, if you want to know how your kid is doing, just reach out to us. We’re happy to provide progress reports and to give you tips on specific ways your child may need help at home.

Have rewards and consequences

We set up our classes so that they are a reward in themselves. That said, your child may come up against something that’s particularly challenging and they may have the urge to quit instead of working through it. These are the points at which it’s important to have a simple reward for their continuing progress, such as extra time on our Minecraft server, and a simple consequence if they skip classes, don’t prepare appropriately, etc.

Encourage them to make friends in their classes

We work hard to ensure that your kids are having fun in our coding classes but of course they’re going to have a better time if they make a buddy or two. Encourage them to hang out with their new coding friends outside of class. Be willing to drive across town to facilitate a play date. The more they look forward to going to class, the better they’re likely to do.

Do you have questions about the way our classes work or how your child could benefit from them? We welcome your feedback and are always happy to answer your questions. Reach out today!

 

Education

Self-Learning Vs Guidance: Which is Best for Your Child?

At CodeREV Kids, we work tirelessly to stay up to date on the latest information on the science behind how children learn. In some circles, there’s quite a bit of debate about which is better – letting a child learn on their own or guiding their learning process. We actually believe that neither is. Instead, a combined approach is most likely to work in the long term.

Consider this example

One of the best ways we can make this point is by giving you an example. Imagine that a child who’s never played golf is handed a golf club. They’re then told to spend half an hour practicing their swing. Once the half hour is over, a professional comes over and tells them what they’ve been doing wrong. It may be great that they eventually got guidance, but you must also consider that they’ve just spent thirty minutes teaching themselves the wrong way to swing a club.

There are limitations to self-learning

At CodeREV Kids, we believe the right way to handle this issue is by finding a balance. That’s why we offer coding classes that have plenty of instruction, but also give kids a chance to explore on their own. Our teachers are there not just to tell children what to do, but to inspire and challenge them. Your child will learn exactly how coding is done and will do it themselves.

Balance is easier in small groups

One of the reasons we’re able to find a balance that works for our kids is that we don’t have huge classes. With a small class size, we can instruct on the basics, go through an example together, and then give kids free reign to practice on their own. When they encounter a problem, they can let us know right away. In some cases we’ll give them instructions on how to get past their obstacle, while in other situations we’ll encourage them to learn the right way through trial and error.

There is no one-size-fits-all coding class

In addition to offer small class sizes, we also offer an alternative schedule of classes that works at your child’s pace. Whether your child takes a little longer to grasp concepts, or they race right through them, these classes give them the opportunity to find the right pace. At CodeREV Kids, we believe strongly that teaching kids to code is teaching them to be ready for their future.

Education

4 Reasons Coding Will Pay Off for Your Kids

There’s no question that kids today are busier than ever and it can be difficult to fit it all in. However, there’s one thing that we at CodeREV Kids think every parent needs to make time for: Kids learning to code. It’s not because we think every child should be a programmer when they grow up, but because technology is rapidly changing the world we live in and learning to code better prepares our kids for that. Here are four reasons that coding is likely to pay off for your kids.

1. They’ll be ready for the technology of the future

Today, our world is becoming more and more reliant on technology. This is only going to increase as time goes on. From hardware to code to programs, we are a society that’s very reliant on technology. No matter what career path your child eventually choses, there’s a good chance it will be affected in some way by technology and learning to code can help prepare them for it.

2. Coding teaches kids to be makers

When kids learn how to code, they’re empowered. They gain confidence, they learn to be innovative, and they take on skills likely leadership and ingenuity. Coding is all about finding new solutions and teaching new concepts. If you want your child to be creative and to be able to solve problems than teaching them to code is a great way to get there.

3. Kids gain important logic and critical thinking skills

There are so many skills a kid learn when they learn to code. They discover how to solve problems on their own, the best way to tell a story, how to communicate effectively with others and with an audience, how to think methodically and creatively. In fact, learning to guide while also building a video game can be extra powerful because they’ll need to use both technical and artistic skills.

4. Kids love to code!

Most importantly, kids have a great time learning to code. They get to meet new friends, they’re motivated, and they learn a genuine desire to be creative in their world. At CodeREV Kids we’re so glad that kids gain valuable skills but the fact that our students have a great time is enough of a reason for us to show up to work every day.

Education

Making the Most of Winter Break: Check-In Tips for Parents

Most California schools are halfway through the school year and that means it’s time to consider what your child has accomplished this year and what they have left to do. At CodeREV Kids, we encourage parents to talk over the following check-in topics with their kids. Winter break is the perfect time to get caught up – or get out and learn some new skills.

Do they understand backward mapping?

Many adults don’t fully understand backward mapping so it’s no surprise that their kids don’t either. Essentially, backward mapping is looking at the due date for something and then setting dates for progress. For example, if a project is due on the 30th of a month, backward mapping might include setting the 5th as the due date for an outline, with a draft by the 15th and a second draft by the 25th.

Let your kids tell you when things are due

When you check-in with your kids, don’t sit down and go over everything that they should have done or should be doing. Instead, get them to tell you. Ask them to go over milestones that are coming up. This might be challenging at first but it’s important for them to learn these skills. Don’t interrupt them or correct, give them time to find the right answer on their own.

Talk about progress daily

As a parent you do want to be actively involved in your child’s academic success but you also don’t want to do everything for them. This can be a difficult balance to achieve. One way you can do so is by encouraging progress and asking them every day how they’re coming on their projects.

Remember they likely have more than one project

Backward mapping is very important but don’t stop after you’ve had them do it on a single project. The reality is that, depending on their school and their age, they likely have a number of projects. Encourage them to map them one at a time so they won’t get overwhelmed.

Give them breaks and appreciate the results

It’s hard to stay on task and it’s even harder for kids. Don’t expect them to sit down and study for four hours without a break. Encourage them to build in break time. They might take a walk around the neighborhood, get a healthy snack, or even get on their devices for a few minutes. Once their break time is up, it’s back to work. And of course, encourage them with fun rewards like Minecraft classes.

Education

Math is All Around You: Unique Ways to Find Mathematics in Nature

There’s plenty a child can learn from a textbook, but at CodeREV Kids we’re big believers that hands-on lessons are the best way to get kids excited about learning. Here are some cool ideas for connecting nature to math.

Teaching addition and subtraction

There are butterfly gardens all around California and if you’re lucky enough to live near one, take a trip there with the kids. You likely can’t count every butterfly in the room but you can pick a flower and count the butterflies that land on it. If you’re not near a butterfly garden, go outside and sort rocks you find by their size and color. Add each group together to come up with a total. How many rocks are there in total and how many more are there in one group than another.

Another idea to teach addition and subtraction is to count how many birds you see on a specific tree. Count it at two different times of day and compare how many birds were in at either time. Then subtract to find the difference and talk about why the time of day matters.

Teaching kids how to measure

It’s a good idea to teach kids how to measure with standard tools and with non-standard tools. Start out by measuring vegetables in your garden or that you have in your kitchen. Use a ruler to get a real measurement or guess first. Take a walk outside and look at the rocks. Are there more that are shorter than three inches or longer than three inches? Bring a ruler to verify.

For more advanced students, pick a tree and measure the diameter and how close it is to other trees. You can figure out how tall it is by using the Pythagorean theory.

Comparing attributes

Pick two different leaves. Make a crayon rubbing of each and then label all its attributes, including its length, width, color, shape, number of points, etc. Or find two rose bushes and compare the roses colors, size of blossom, length of leaves, thorn size, and how many blooms are on each.

These are just a few ideas of using nature to teach math. For more fun, sneaky ways to get kids excited about math, check out the Minecraft options available at CodeREV Kids. We pride ourselves on our ability to get kids truly excited about learning!

Education

Is Your Child Following These 10 Good Study Habits?

Every parent wants their child to succeed but it’s not always easy to know how to do that. If your child is struggling to keep up in school, or if they’re doing well in their current grade but you worry that they don’t have the study habits down to succeed as they progress in their education, then these ten good study habits may help. At CodeREV Kids, we believe that learning can be fun but setting the right study habits is the foundation that helps kids achieve.

    1. Encourage organization. Your kids have a lot going on and they need to stay organized. A planner is a great option. Ask your child to use it to track homework, activities, and tests, and then review it in the morning and at night.
    2. Make sure your kids know what’s expected. Your child doesn’t need surprises. If your child’s school syllabus doesn’t make expectations clear, have your child approach their teacher to ensure they know what’s expected of them.
    3. Create a designated study area. Studying in front of the TV is not the best option. Instead, provide a quiet, well-lit place they can study.
    4. Have a plan. Cramming the night before an exam is not the best plan. Have your child set out study goals in the days or weeks leading up to major tests.
    5. Keep a positive attitude. Encourage your child to turn negative statements into positive ones.
    6. Encourage study groups. Working in groups is important for kids and is a great way for them to understand tough material.
    7. Teach active listening. Some students simply don’t know how to pick out the important parts of a teacher’s lecture. Encourage your child to understand active listening and show them how to note key points a teacher makes.

 

  • Have a test-taking strategy. Most kids are going to be stressed out before a test. Teach your kids relaxation techniques that can help them excel. Also show them how to pace themselves during the test.
  • Read actively. Read textbooks with your kids and ask them what the main points or concepts are after each section. Teach them to look up words or concepts they don’t understand.
  • Teach them that learning can be fun. Many kids are under the mistaken impression that learning is boring. At CodeREV Kids, we’re firm believers that learning can be fun! Prove to your kids this is true by enrolling in our fall coding classes.

 

We’re always looking for new ways to get kids started off in the right direction. For more information, contact CodeREV Kids today!

Education

A Fun STEM Project to Complete Over Winter Break

At CodeREV Kids we see it all the time: A kid who once didn’t care at all about school can get so excited about science and technology classes that they’re actually sad to take a break over the holidays. The good news is that we’re here to help! We offer awesome winter camps but we’re also here to offer advice on a cool science project that can be completed over winter break.

Science that doubles as a snack

Do you remember rock candy from when you were a kid? It’s actually fairly easy to make, but it does take some planning and a lot of patience. To get a completed product, you’ll have to wait a week to ten days but it’ll be well worth it.

Your end goal is large crystals but you’ll need to start with small ones. Begin by dissolving two cups of sugar into a cup of boiling hot water. This is very hot so be sure you’re supervising or taking the lead on this part.

Then let it cool for ten minutes. Pour it into a clear glass, such as a mason jar. Take a pipe cleaner (which you may see marketed at a chenille stem) around the middle of any pencil. Leave a tail at the end that’s about four to six inches. Put the pencil on the rim of the glass to let the tail hang down into the solution. As you’re waiting for your crystals to form, keep the glass out of direct sun and away from doors or vents. The purpose is to keep the temperature constant.

Every day, take a few minutes to check the progress and track the growth. After about a week to ten days, take the pencil out of the jar. Don’t worry if there’s a layer of sugar that tries to keep it stuck, just break it off with a spoon. Then rinse your candy and put it on waxed paper to dry.

Make sure your kids write down what they believe is happening

This is a cool experiment that results in a tasty treat. Be sure to teach kids the science behind the crystals and why they’re “growing.” As with coding classes, this is a lesson taught that won’t even feel like a lesson!

If you want to learn more about winter coding classes for kids, why coding is great for them, or different ways you can get kids excited about science, CodeREV Kids is here to help.

Education

Simple Tips to Help Your Kids Learn from their Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s those who are capable of standing up afterwards and moving on that are truly successful in life. Helping your kids learn from their mistakes is a great way to help prepare them for the real world. However, at CodeREV Kids we know it can be difficult to do so. That’s why we’re here to provide you with some simple tips that will help you prevent your kids from being paralyzed by their mistakes and installed will help the move on and grow from them.

Help your child recognize what went wrong

The truth is that 9 out of 10 times, your child knows exactly what they did wrong. For example, if they got a bad grade on their report card, then they likely know that it’s because they didn’t do well on a particular test and they know they didn’t do well because they didn’t study as much as they should.

However, kids don’t always make these connections. That’s why your first reaction after your kid makes a mistake should be to ask them what went wrong. After you’ve established what the problem is, then you can find ways to move on from it.

Set goals and offer rewards

Once you’ve come up with the problem together, you can brainstorm the solutions together. For example, it may involve studying more, doing extra work, asking friends for their notes, or getting to school a little early and talking to the teacher. Let your child come up with some ideas on what they could do differently next time and then pick one or two and set them as goals.

You’ll also want to offer a reward if your child meets their goal. Some parents balk at this part and believe that simply doing well should be reward enough. The truth is that this is an important point in their lives and you want to help increase the chances that they’ll have positive associations with working hard.

Get them extra help if they need it

It’s important to teach your child to learn from their mistakes but it’s also important to teach them that it’s okay to ask for help when they need it. For example, if they’re having trouble understanding math or science, then you may enroll them in coding classes that give them hands-on, relevant exercises to learn the basics inside and out. Reach out to CodeREV Kids for more information on the options we offer.

Education

How to Prepare Your Kids for a Holiday Road Trip

Are you heading off on a road trip this holiday season? If you are, then you may be worried about how the kids will handle it. It’s true that many kids don’t like being cooped up in the car for hours at a time but it’s also true that there are some great tips that can help you have a great time. Here are some tips we’ve used in the past at CodeREV Kids.

Make sure they understand exactly what the trip will entail

You can get your kids prepared by telling them how far you’re traveling, how long the drive will take, and any stops you plan to make along the way. If possible, print out a map that shows your route on it and show them how to read it.

You can also use reference points they understand and then compare this drive to those ones. For example, you might say, “When we travel to your Uncle Jim’s house, it takes three hours. This time we’re traveling to Aunt Ellen’s and it will take twice as long as that.”

For older kids, use the distance to create some unique math problems. For example, you can tell them how many miles away it is and ask them how long it will take if you average 60 miles per hour compared to 50 miles per hour. At CodeREV Kids, we’ve learned over the years that hands-on learning like this is one of the best ways to get kids excited and to ensure that the knowledge sticks with them for the long term.

Travel either late at night or first thing in the morning

The more of your time driving your kids can spend sleeping, the better their overall experience may be. Some families actually start out at 7 at night and drive through the night. By the time the kids wake up, it’s morning and their family has arrived in their destination. Other families start driving early in the morning and let the kids sleep for the first few hours.

If you’re not going anywhere for the holidays, consider our camps

If you’re staying in town for the holidays, don’t forget to check out our winter camps schedule. It’s a great way for your kids to make new friends, learn new skills, and boost both their problem solving and critical thinking skills. Give us a call with any questions.