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Is Minecraft really educational?

Since its release in 2011, Minecraft has become one of the most popular games ever made. It has a community of over 91 million players, and most of them are children and teenagers. But the real question is, how has a game like this became so good for education?

First of all, we need to really understand what Minecraft is. As we mentioned before, a decade after its release it’s one of the most popular games among children. What makes this game stand out from other online video games is the freedom it gives to its users.

What makes Minecraft different?

While the majority of video games give an objective or a plot to their players, Minecraft instead gives no instructions at all. The game allows you to figure out what you want to do in its world, giving complete creative freedom in what is called a sandbox format (think kids in a sandbox making their own creations in an open-ended way).

The world of Minecraft is completely made from 3D blocks; these blocks can be broken and picked up to build incredible structures. That’s why it is so often referred to as digital LEGOS as children can create anything they can imagine with these blocks. 

But that’s not all – players can edit source code that makes up Minecraft with mods (modifications) to change the game behavior or use its built in command line to write functions with coordinates, parameters, variables, conditional statements, and more to make special things happen in the game. Furthermore, players can modify the program using Java code and that’s when they start really diving deeper into code while playing their favorite game.

Finally, the game has a redstone system built into it that follows the same logic and rules as real engineering circuitry. So tapping into building mechanics and electronics inside of the game by learning to use its redstone system teaches kids the basics of engineering and circuits. Kids can use this to create anything from real computers inside the game to roller coasters, trap doors, firework displays, and even Rude Goldberg machines.

Is Minecraft really educational?

Now that we have a better understanding of how Minecraft works, let’s check some of the benefits of Minecraft!

Top reasons why Minecraft is good for education

Many of the reasons why kids love Minecraft are also the reasons why it is considered beneficial for their development. Minecraft engages their minds and lets them explore their creativity, problem solving skills, teamwork and even programming.

Minecraft encourages creativity

Probably one of the strongest benefits that Minecraft offers is its endless creative opportunities. With an average of 921.6 quadrillion blocks per world, children can really create anything that comes to their minds. Encouraging creativity at young ages plays an essential role in child development. Creativity allows children to find innovative solutions, new ways of doing things and create opportunities.

If your child wants to create an amusement park with giant dragons, then they can do it! The only restriction is that they have to find a way to do it with the famous building blocks (and perhaps some engineering and code). It’s all possible in Minecraft as this popular article in Edutopia explains.  

Minecraft reinforces problem solving skills

What makes Minecraft great to reinforce problem solving skills is that it offers an incredible amount of freedom to make decisions. This open ended problem-solving can help sharpen how well a child can face obstacles. Whether those problems are hypothetical or real life situations. Minecraft can encourage and expand this type of thinking. As the game allows players to set their own rules, players have freedom to find creative ways to solve problems that can appear while they’re creating projects in the game. 

So children can find themselves in situations where they must build a shelter, find food or escape from some fun monster by creating the solution on their own. This encourages children to think outside of the box to figure out how to solve complex situations. This can help children get used to quickly and efficiently solve real-world problems and use critical thinking while doing so. Even schools have noticed the potential in Minecraft including it into their classrooms as you can read here.

Minecraft introduces programming skills

Minecraft is an excellent tool to introduce children to programming, as it opens the door to fundamentals of coding. Because of the possibilities it gives to customize its code in Java, Minecraft contributes to developing this key learning skill.

It is important to highlight that Minecraft won’t exactly teach a programming language, but it introduces basic coding functions. Children can learn functions like IF, THEN, ELSE, and END which can be used to build all kinds of actions and mechanisms. Kids can deepen their programming skills by taking classes with experts and learn to customize the code to create effects. Some more eager and self motivated kids can even learn a lot of this on their own.

In fact, Minecraft has been the initial step for many video game designers and programmers. Kids can progress from coding their first automations in the game to developing complex game actions.

Conclusion

Now we hope you have a better idea about how Minecraft can be a really useful educational tool for children. Learning with it can prepare kids for the future by building core skills like critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. It can also even be an amazing tool to learn other skills such as math (think 3 dimensional geometry!)

To take learning in Minecraft to the next level, you can explore some of CodeREV Kids’ classes. Your child can start turning their passion into real promise!

Coding Curriculum, Coding Education

Best coding languages for kids

Since technology has become present in our lives, dominating coding languages has become a need for adults and children. Indeed, programming for youngsters is turning into an undeniably necessary subject. Learning how to code at a young age can genuinely set your kid up for success. They don’t just develop basic coding skills, but skills for the rest of their life.

Today, even kindergartners can start exploring different coding languages that fit their age needs. Learning code abilities at a young age will impact their development in STEM, and so forth, in their future careers. Also, studies have shown that coding reinforces skills like problem solving, logic, creativity and critical thinking. 

A parent’s guide to coding languages

Programming is the language of the future and learning how to effectively use it is easier than it looks. First of all, you should know that there are a huge amount of coding languages for kids to start with. Scratch, Java, Python, some forms of JavaScript, and Lua are probably the best, and most known, coding languages to begin with for kids. 

In any case, each coding language has its own working framework, style and expected use. But in general, these languages show kids how to track down an answer for an issue using an arrangement of steps, activities or directions. 

Generally, children tend to quickly become familiar with coding languages designed for them. Kids learn better through visual boost and this is the reason why graphical programming programs turn out better for beginners. Once children understand fundamental coding concepts, they can move to text-based programming languages  (line coding) and learn the syntax of various programming languages.

But, how to choose the best coding language for your child? 

It might be hard to decide the best way to introduce your child to code. That’s why we made our top 3 of what we consider the best coding languages for kids! Check it out with us, and feel free to ask us any questions you have to help you choose the best coding class for your child.

Scratch

Scratch is a free educational programming language developed by Mitch Resnick and patented by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Learning to code with Scratch is easy for kids because of it’s intuitive, easy-to-use visual block interface. This makes it an amazing starting point for kids to start connecting with code.

Best Coding Languages for Kids: Scratch

The simplification of the process of designing games and creating stories and their big online community makes Scratch the perfect coding language to introduce your child to code from ages 6 to 16.

Lua

Lua is the perfect coding language to introduce children to text-based code since it’s easy to learn, use, and embed into applications. The power of Lua coding is that with a beginner-friendly language, it introduces simple concepts that can turn into greater creations.

Best codinga languages for kids_lua
Best Coding Languages for Kids: Lua

In addition to its simplicity and efficiency, Lua is used by Roblox which is a game platform adored by kids. Learning to code with Lua in Roblox, allows kids to create exciting and fun games that they can share with all their friends. 

Java

Java is one of the most used coding languages in the world. Gmail, by Google, and Twitter, for example, were created in Java, as well as one of the most popular computer games nowadays: Minecraft! If your child is into Minecraft, Java can be a great programming language to create with.

Java gives a richer insight of coding as it’s designed to continue developing over the years. Although it’s harder to learn because of its variables, Java catches children’s excitement as it is widely used to make video games and mobile apps. It is also a great entry level object oriented programming language, typically focused on CS programs later in school. Its scalability makes it perfect for kids from 10 to 16.

These days, learning to code is a priceless and useful skill for kids. Understanding how something works, how to solve problems and being able to create new scenarios has a myriad of benefits for budding young programmers.. Regardless of the age of your child, there’s a perfect coding language they can start exploring to open a world of opportunities. Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions? If so, we’d love to hear from you! 

Education

Summer Coding Camp: Online vs. In-Person

Summer is here, and you might be struggling to decide whether to join an Online or In-Person Summer Coding Camp. Because of COVID-19, most summer camps have updated their in-person programs or have turned them into virtual or hybrid experiences. Unsure about signing your child up for Online or In-Person Summer Coding Camp? Take a deeper look with us to make the best decision for your child. 

Summer is the perfect opportunity for kids —and parents— to change their online school routines. Traditional in-person summer camps can be an incredible experience for kids because of the hands-on and outdoor activities involved as well as the friends kids can make. On the other hand, online summer camps allow kids to interact and learn with their peers from the comfort of their home. Virtual camps also enable you to choose programs that could be based anywhere in the country or even the world.

Rest assured, there is a Summer Coding Camp experience awaiting that’s perfect for your child. So…, let’s take a look together at some of the pros and cons of Online Summer Coding Camp and In-Person Summer Coding Camp!

Online vs. In-Person Summer Coding Camps
Online vs. In-Person Summer Coding Camps

Online Summer Coding Camp Pros and Cons:

Due to the pandemic, online education became the main solution to keep delivering education during the past year. Online Summer Coding Camps have increased their popularity since they are interactive, often lower in cost, and typically allow smaller instructor-to-student ratios than school or similar programs. Apart from that, here are some of their main characteristics you can weigh to make an informed decision.

Offers Greater Flexibility

Taking an Online Camp gives you a kind of adaptability that isn’t accessible with conventional in-person strategies. Usually, the only requirement for an online coding camp is a computer with internet, audio, and video. You can join from anywhere, access recorded classes and choose a wider range of times than in an in-person camp. 

Gives Greater Variety

During the last year, the offer of online programs has increased notably. In the virtual field, you can find literally all kinds of classes from sports to arts and music to technology. A summer coding camp works very well in a virtual format, as it often has smaller instructor-to-student ratios, allowing more online one-on-one time between campers and teachers.

Is Often Less Expensive

In general terms, online education tends to be less expensive than in-person learning. In an Online Summer Coding Camp you don’t just save on transportation costs, but also save on the cost of the camp itself. Usually virtual camps are cheaper because paying for facilities costs and maintaining staff for on-site camp is more expensive than offering an online program.

Although there are many pros related to e-learning, there are some things to consider before signing up for an online camp. One of the most common cons is that kids, and especially parents, may not want more screen time right now. Also, some kids are tired of being at home and want to get away from the house. 

(Here, you can also find 7 Lasting Benefits of Virtual Summer Camp)

In-Person Summer Coding Camp Pros and Cons:

More Hands-On Experience

The experience of an In-Person Summer Camp after a year of online learning can be thrilling for your children. Being able to interact with instructors and other kids face-to-face, to touch, make and create with their own hands has been proven to have several benefits in kids’ overall experience and learning process.

Facilitates Connections

Despite the options we have to interact through online tools, they can’t always be compared with the experience of being on a campus. The buzz of camp surrounding kids, or a group game can be unique to being at an in-person camp. In an In-Person Summer Coding Camp, students can connect in real-time to strengthen their social skills such as through teamwork. While this is also possible in virtual camps, for some children, it isn’t quite the same as being there with peers. In-person training provides greater opportunities for group activities and interactive projects if your child’s learning style suits an in-person format better.

Allows For a Change In Environment

Both children and parents have had a long year of working, learning and studying from home. An In-Person Summer Camp is the perfect opportunity for kids to change their everyday online school routine. Going to a new place and enjoying outdoor activities with kids their same age can be refreshing and exciting. This isn’t just a perfect getaway for kids, but also for parents who could use a full-time summer camp in order to focus on work….and on themselves!

While In-Person learning has multiple benefits both for parents and children, it’s important to recognize your child’s learning style. Some kids find speaking out in public or meeting new people intimidating, limiting the possibility of enjoying the in-person format. There are also always greater Covid risks, though you should check the camp’s Covid precautions taken, when joining an in-person camp right now.

In conclusion, there are benefits and drawbacks to both in-person and online summer coding camps, though both are net positive. Before making your decision, it’s important to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of each camp format. But most importantly, choose the option that best fits your child’s learning style and preferences to give them an amazing summer camp experience.

Education

Invest in education for your child’s future

Investing in education is one of the most powerful things we can do for our child’s well-being from all points of view. When you invest in education you are helping your child develop their full potential and ensure a better future. Whether it’s taking art classes or signing up for an after-school online class, every cent you spend on new educational experiences for your child will be worth it. 

Over the years, we have learned how education can have a lasting effect in children’s lives. Investing in education can put kids on a path towards wellbeing, employment and success. Actually, education is not only useful for our own children and us as parents, it’s also useful at a macro level.

“Evidence shows that, on average, each additional year of education boosts a person’s income by 10 per cent and increases a country’s GDP by 18 per cent. Some researchers estimate that if every child learned to read, around 170 million fewer people would live in poverty.” (Yoka Brandt, Unicef)

Invest in education for the Future

As parents we will always want the best for our children. Education is a life-long process that can include simple habits that can improve our child’s life from a young age. Certainly, this isn’t just in the academic area, but in almost every aspect of their life. Most importantly, a solid education can help children adapting to situations they will face in the future in a effective way.

Invest in educaction for the future

Let’s check out three reasons why invest in education is the best gift you could ever give to your child!

1. Education Enriches Their Vision of Life

Education is an excellent method to try different things with your child’s hobbies, interests, inclinations, abilities, and desires. By giving your child the opportunity to face new circumstances and activities, their mind goes into power mode. Whether it’s getting familiar with sports, art, technology or science, they can start enriching their vision of life.

2. Education Boosts Creativity and Innovation 

Learning and exploring different topics that catch your child’s attention enriches their knowledge. Also education can give them innovative ways to connect the information they have to create new solutions. Education can really extend their vision into the world, adding new data and broadening their viewpoint in any event.

Therefore, investing into education is to stretch the boundaries of their reality and their capacity to innovate further away. By stretching those boundaries, they develop their abilities to think creative thoughts that can make them stand out from the rest.

3. It Will Last Forever

Something amazing about learning is that literally nobody can take it away. Consequently, education it’s an everlasting gift that you can give your child to build their future. Material things can easily disappear, yet nobody could take away something that you’ve learned and experienced.

The time and money you invest in education for your child to develop skills, abilities, hobbies and knowledge will never be wasted. Knowledge will stick with them one way or another forever. In short, investing in your child’s education isn’t just filling them with knowledge. Investing in your child’s future is giving them tools to successfully face any situation that comes their way.

Education

Learning math: 5 exciting ways to learn math at home

It’s a reality, some kids tend to find learning math difficult and, as it turns out, most kids are affected by two common factors:

  1. The myth that it is a challenging and hard subject to comprehend
  2. Old methods of teaching math don’t always make it easy for kids to personally connect to it.

Fortunately for kids, and for parents, these days we have multiple ways of getting kids excited about learning math! 

Math is often one of the most unloved subjects in school; students don’t get amped up for numbers and recipes the way in which they get excited for different subjects. Because math is more complex and harder to associate with real-life examples, it can be less interesting if not taught properly.

Luckily, nowadays virtual learning has opened numerous entryways for kids and parents to have an exciting approach to mathematics. New methods like gamification, simulation, design thinking, live-online classes, online games and even YouTube videos, can get kids excited about learning math, regardless of having affinity or being good in the subject or not. 

Learning math

Learning math, but make it fun!

For little youngsters, and for adults too, dominating a new or difficult skill requires lots of practice. In order to avoid practicing math becoming a constant struggle, finding options to make learning math fun, relatable and interactive is key. 

Gamified learning has had a huge impact on teaching in the last 5 years as it involves using game-based elements like point scoring, competition, team work or score tables to increase engagement when learning new information. That means kids learn best when they are also having fun!

The gamification of learning allows children to see real-life applications and benefits of the subject matter in a highly engaging format. This also helps develop some other important skills for life like confidence, creativity, commitment, teamwork and problem solving. These are skills they can apply not only in the classroom, but in almost every aspect of their life.

Here are 5 fun ways that we find useful to make kids excited about learning math!

Eureka Math

Eureka Math is a free, open-education resource for parents and teachers of kids from pre-K to high school. You can get worksheets, teacher guides and tips for parents.

Khan Institute Recordings

Khan Institute offers a great amount of math preparation content. From essential classes to optional school learning, there is something for everybody. For example, there is a sub-channel called Khan Institute Early Math. It covers points like checking and calculation. 

Learning Math with Minecraft

Yes, Minecraft isn’t just one of the most popular online games for kids in the world, it is also a great tool to engage kids with math and STEM concepts. We designed a one-of-a-kind, amazing MathCraft program where both parents and students truly win as parents get to watch their students thrilled to do math!

UNO Flip

Another simple way for the family to practice math in a fun way, Uno Flip game creates simple math problems your child will need to solve! You could easily do this for addiction, subtraction, multiplication, or even division. Check how to play it with your family here.

Food fractions!

Food fractions are a great and delicious way to learn math! Cut up your lunch sandwiches, tortillas or pies and learn with your child about fractions, addition and subtraction while you enjoy a family picnic!

Coding Education

Challenge Your Child to Take on a New Activity

The list of jobs of a good parent is long. Of course, the basics are necessary – food, clothing, education, etc. – but the list gets much longer as we think of ways for parents to help nurture their child’s intellect and curiosity. At CodeREV Kids, we have some unique ways to challenge your child through the joys of learning to code.

Coding can help your child for the rest of their life

There are plenty of activities your child can take part in, so you may be wondering – why coding? The truth is that there is a long list of reasons that coding can help your child. Not only will your child learn valuable skills today, but the demand for employees who can code is only projected to go up in future years. What’s more, it’s not just coders they’re looking for. Future jobs may seek out employees in all sectors who also know how to code.

Your child can build on a host of skills

When your child comes to one of our coding classes, they’ll learn about coding but they’ll be building other skills too. Our classes help foster critical thinking and team work. They help improve our students’ self-esteem and they can increase their interest in both math and science. Whether your goal is to help them specifically learn coding, or to boost their self-confidence or help them make new friends, it’s all available here.

Our instructors have unique backgrounds

When a company is staffing for a company like this, what do you think they should focus on more: Instructors who have experience teaching children or instructors who are experts in coding specifically? For other companies, this may be a difficult question to answer but for us it was easy: Our instructors are both. They come to us with vast experience teaching children and creating curriculum, but they’re also experienced in coding in the real world.

If you’re looking for a way to challenge your child, help prepare them for the future, and introduce them to new friends, then CodeREV Kids is a great choice. We offer a host of programs from Minecraft maneuvering to structured coding classes and even classes that allow your child to work at their own pace. We’ve done everything we can to ensure that all students can find the perfect balance between being challenged and feeling confident.

 

Coding Curriculum

3 Ways Your Kids Can Learn About Robots in CodeREV Kids Classes

At CodeREV Kids, we are committed to your children finding the most incredible ways to build their STEM knowledge. We are proud to be able to highly recommend any of our classes but our robotics classes are especially interesting for many of the kids we work with. We know that every child is at a different place in their learning process, which is why we offer three unique robotics classes.

1. Little Bits

Little Bits is what we call an engineering stepping stone class. In these STEM classes, students work together to build dynamic electronic projects. Not only do they learn about the electronic and science aspect of building, but they learn how to work together. They build both creativity and teamwork skills. In this class, you can count on your child learning both simple and complex projects. We believe in building these skills at an early age and Little Bits is a great way to do that.

2. LEGO Mindstorms

Has your child always wanted their own robot that they could learn how to control? In this robotics class, your child will learn how to program their own robot to do some pretty fantastic things. We love all the classes we offer at CodeREV Kids but our LEGO Mindstorms is consistently rated as one of the most educational classes we offer – not to mention the most fun!

3. Arduino

For older kids who want to learn how to code with the big boys, Arduino is a great choice. In this class, your child will learn the beginning build blocks they’ll need to successfully learn C++. They’ll program their Arduinos to light up, make a bunch of noise, move, and process an unbelievable amount of information. This is truly an amazing platform that is a great option for advanced students. If your child is super creative and ready to move on to an advanced class, then this may be the one for them.

Are you not sure where your child falls within these three options? Or do you have other coding classes in mind? Feel free to reach out to us here at CodeREV Kids. Our instructors aren’t just coding experts, they all have experience teaching as well. Our number one goal is for your child to have a great time while learning. We can help you place your child in the perfect class for their skill level.

 

Skills

How Does Your Child Treat New Kids? 5 Tips That Can Help Them Be More Welcoming

In a perfect world, would you describe your child as welcoming to new kids or standoffish? Most parents want their child to be welcoming and warm, but at CodeREV Kids, we’ve learned over the years that kids often need to be told to reach out to the new kids. We’re proud that our coding classes are inclusive and that we help kids learn to work together, but we also want to offer some advice to parents who want to help their child take a step out of their comfort zone to welcome the new kids.

1. Just tell them the truth

The first tip is very simple: Just sit down with your child and tell them that you hope they’ll be welcoming, open, and accepting to any new kids. Tell them that you hope they’ll smile and say hello when they see a new kid.  

2. Ask them to consider how the new kid feels

It’s common for kids to not welcome the new kid because they don’t realize that it’s something they need to do. Ask them to pretend that they’re the new kid. Would they feel scared? What would they want another kid to say to them? How could your child use that information to help the new kid feel more comfortable? Come up with answers together.

3. Give your child a specific task to do

Give your child one specific goal. It may be to invite any new kids to join them for lunch, it may be to go up and ask them to play during recess, it may be to sit with them on the school bus, or it may be to talk to them before or after school. Giving your child a specific task helps make it easier for them to know how to take initiative.

4. Tell them to help lost kids get to where they need to go

If they see a kid that looks lost, encourage your child to stop and ask if they need help. Even if your child hasn’t mastered every classroom in school, your child will at least know who to ask for help.

5. Show them that asking questions is a good first move

If your child is shy themselves and nervous about approaching a child they don’t know, then simply ask them to walk up to the new kid, introduce themselves, and ask a few questions. This makes it easy for everyone to know what to say as they begin to build up a bond.

Education

3 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed When They’re the New Kid

Being the new kid in school can be scary and many kids simply aren’t sure how to handle it. As a parent, you may wish that you could tag along with them to make sure they make friends. Unfortunately, that’s not a realistic option – but it is realistic to following these three tips that can help you prepare your child for their first day as the new kid.

1. Encourage your child to be open to new ideas

At your child’s previous school, they likely got used to the way things worked. They may be resistant to doing things in a different way, and they may end up continuously telling their new teachers and classmates, “That’s now how we did it at my other school.” Explain to them that this can come across as though they’re being combative and encourage them to be open to doing things differently. When they’re the new kid, there’s nothing wrong with smiling, even if they don’t feel like it. In short, explain the advantages of acting better than they feel.

2. Teach them the one strategy that can help in almost any situation: Listening

If your child starts to become uncomfortable, tell them to concentrate on listening instead of trying to figure out what they’re supposed to say. The goal is for them to be interested, curious, and patient students. Learning to be a good listener can take some effort so be sure to teach them the basics of active listening.

3. Help them appreciate the adventure of starting a new school

The great thing about starting a new school is that it actually offers your child an opportunity to have an interesting and exciting adventure. Yes, they’ll miss their old friends and they’ll miss knowing where everything is and how it all works. They may feel lonely at first and they may feel less than confident about how to act. Make sure that they know this is normal but that they can use it to their advantage.

If your child is moving during the summer months, why not bring them into CodeREV Kids coding classes? They’ll get some practice talking to kids they don’t know and can start the school year already having some new friends. And of course, they’ll get some great skills by learning to code, how to use Minecraft, and much more. Reach out to us today to learn more!

Education

Turn Your Good Student into a Great Student

Has your child settled for being a good student when you know they could be a great student? If you see that your child is performing well, but know that there’s intellectual potential that’s not being used, then you may search for ways to help your student to become the great student you know they can be. The good news is that CodeREV Kids has a few ideas on how you can do that.

Be inspiring, be supportive – but set clear expectations

A good parent knows that praise is important to their child’s success, but don’t let your child assume that the praise you give them means you don’t know they could do better. For example, if your child goes from mostly Cs to mostly Bs, you want to reward their hard work – but you also want to be clear that you know they’re capable of As.

The easiest way to make this change is to tell your children that you believe in their abilities, but make your praise not about their grades but about their potential. Remember that you’re really trying to foster a love of learning. If they get too hung up on earning As then they could end up being discouraged.

Pay attention to what works for your child

Making even the smallest changes in your child’s study habits can help accommodate their personal preferences – and can make a huge difference. For example, what if you’ve always said that your child must complete their homework before playing video games? This may lead to them rushing through their homework just so they can get to their games. Another option is to let them play their video games for a set amount of time first. Letting your child begin with what they want to be doing could help them focus more when it comes time to get the work done.

Remember that your child has more going on than just school

It’s easy as a parent to focus on your child’s grades and how they’re doing in school. However, at CodeREV Kids we encourage you to think beyond school and remember that your child has other interests that should be explored. While you may think of extracurricular activities as competing with school, the truth is that they can supplement it. For example, our spring classes give kids hands-on experience with coding – which can help boost problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and more.