Category Archives: Skills

Skills

4 Ways to Nurture a Growth Mindset in Your Children

There’s been a lot of press recently about supporting a child’s growth mindset. But what does this mean? In short, the growth mindset is one in which failure doesn’t define you, but is rather an opportunity to learn something new. For kids with a growth mindset, effort is the reward, whether they fail or succeed. Here are four ways you can help encourage this attitude in your child.

1. Be the change you want to see

First and foremost, model the growth mindset yourself. For example, talk to your kids every day about what you learned, what mistakes you made, and what you learned from those mistakes. Then talk to them about everything you put effort into, whether you completed it or not. Before long, your kids will be joining in with their own answers and will unknowingly be using a growth mindset themselves.

2. Praise your child’s effort – not their ability

You should praise your child but if you praise them for being talented or intelligent, then you’re putting them into a fixed mindset in which those factors can be changed, whether they make good or bad choices. Instead, focus on how much effort they’ve put into things, and complement the strategies they use.

3. Work with your children to reframe their thinking

A person who’s truly adopted a growth mindset never asks, “Is it possible to do this?” they ask “How can I do this?” Encourage your kids to work on processes that test their abilities. Some of the coding classes at CodeREV Kids are especially good for helping kids learn how to think critically and solve problems.

4. Don’t sugar coat failure

If your child fails, praise their effort and move on to helping them find ways they can improve the next time they’re in that situation. If you don’t acknowledge the failure at all, then you’re going to take a mistake and turn it into a way of life.

Most people have mixed feelings about following a growth mindset and in encouraging their children to do so. The bottom line is that of course it’s up to you how you encourage your child. At CodeREV Kids, we just think it’s smart to learn from mistakes and find other ways to move forward. To learn more about the many classes we offer for kids, reach out to us or stop by one of our classrooms today!

Skills

5 Simple Tips to Help Your Kids Ace Their Next Test

Every parent wants their child to do well in school but not all of us know the best way to help them accomplish that goal. At CodeREV Kids, we’ve compiled five simple tips you can follow to help your kids be prepared for their next test.

1. Make a plan for studying well in advance

Deadlines have a way of sneaking up on all of us, regardless of age. Teach your children to make a study plan as soon as they know the date of their test. Then check with them daily or weekly to see that they’re on track. There’s simply no substitute for studying over time versus cramming in the day or two before the test.

2. Be ready for the format of the test

Many students concentrate so hard on learning the material on a test that they forget to work on the format of the test. For example, if your child isn’t used to essay tests, then you may need to help them learn how to organize them. If they don’t know the best strategies for multiple choice tests, then you may need to help them.

3. Remember that it’s not all about school

You do want to help them focus but you don’t want them so stressed about their tests that they end up worrying themselves out of a good grade. We recommend fun activities that help improve their critical thinking skills overall, like coding classes.

4. Attitude matters

A single test isn’t going to make or break your child’s entire educational career. You do want them to do well, but if they don’t, let them know that you can learn from that experience. You don’t want to pressure your child so much that they aren’t able to do their best on a test.

5. Overall health is important

Make sure your child gets a good breakfast the day of their test, and plenty of sleep the night before. Regular experience can help boost brain activity too. There are of course many reasons to try and ensure your child is healthy but improving their test scores should be one of them.

At CodeREV Kids we are in the business of helping kids succeed. As their parent, there are many things you can do to help them learn to excel, including the tips above. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to know more about how coding can be a part of this strategy.

Skills

Are Electronic Devices Good or Bad for Your Kids?

Every generation of parent has a unique issue to worry about. Today’s generation often wonders: is technology, and the resulting electronics, good or bad for my kid? In a world where tablets are made for children of all ages, this isn’t an unreasonable question. At CodeREV Kids we have a strong opinion on this.

First of all, we believe that every parent is the best judge of what can help their child. That said, we also believe that technology can be incredibly helpful to children. Remember that your job as a parent is to prepare your child for the world. That world you’re preparing them for is filled with technology. If you want them to be ready for it, then they must be comfortable with technology.

Not only will a familiarity with technology help your kid be comfortable in the world, but it can help them thrive and stay a step ahead of their competition. You’d be amazed by the things kid can create today! All they need is to know some basic coding. The best way for them to get this knowledge is through hands-on coding classes that help them learn through games, apps, and even robots.

If you’re still not sure why this is a good thing for kids, take a moment to learn why coding can be so helpful for kids. We love the fact that they can both build cool things, but they can also learn skills that are important in the larger world. Some of the traits that learning coding can help kids build include:

  • Having an active mind that’s ready to learn anything.
  • Learning how to form strategies and follow-through on tasks they begin.
  • Practical STEM skills that help in a variety of subjects.
  • Problem-solving skills.
  • Hands-on skills.

Now, does this mean that it’s a good idea to plop your child down in front of a computer and let them play without supervision for ten hours a time? Probably not. Again, it’s up to each parent to set limits. Some parents allow their kids an hour of screen time a day, in addition to the time they need for their coding classes and school classes. Other parents allow their children more flexibility.

If you have questions about how to best prepare your child for tomorrow’s technology, feel free to reach out to CodeREV Kids. We are here to spark a passion and drive in your children and we look forward to speaking with you.

Skills

Have You Made New Years’ Resolutions with Your Kids?

You may think that since we’re already a few weeks into January, it’s too late to make a New Year’s resolution with your kids. Or you may think that resolutions aren’t really that helpful. At CodeREV Kids, we think it’s never too late and we think there’s nothing wrong with setting a few goals. Here are some tips we have to help you create resolutions that work.

Set resolutions for both school and home

It’s understandable that parents want to pair up home and school but the truth is that the work done at either one is different and should be rewarded differently. Children should have a resolution to get their daily chores completed but also to do well over an entire semester. The goals necessary to reach these very different objectives aren’t identical, so don’t choose a single resolution to cover both of them.

Create resolutions for extracurricular activities

Extracurricular activities are fun and kids don’t need to set goals with them, right? Well, you’re partially right. What we’ve found is that any kid who wants to sign up for our coding classes can increase their self-esteem, their problem-solving skills, and their overall STEM skills. However, if you set goals these results can be even more significant. For example, consider setting goals to get your kid from our simple Minecraft server to our modded server.

A great goal for every child: Learn how to ask for help when you need it

Resolutions and goals can help kids learn how to problem solve. They can teach them how to take a big goal and break it down into smaller, more easily completed goals. However, if you’re not careful, you may end up trying so hard to show your kid they can do it all on their own that you discourage them from asking for help.

You do want your children to be self-sufficient and to work to solve problems on their own. However, once they hit a wall, you want them to feel comfortable asking for help. One great resolution is to have your kids identify situations in which they may need to ask for help. Whether they need a math tutor, assistance with chores around the house, or have a problem with friends that they need support with, teaching your kids how to ask for help is a great lesson.

Skills

How Important is it for Your Child to Be Organized?

At CodeREV Kids, we’re interested in ways to get kids excited about learning. We offer a wide range of coding classes that are truly unique in their attempt to teach kids not through lecture but through hands-on lessons with technology that they won’t even realize are lessons. However, we’re also looking for other ways to help parents in their quest to ensure their child’s success.

One of the recent tips we’ve been considering is a long-time teacher who offered a suggestion to help boost a child’s grades that you may not have thought of: Encouraging and teaching neatness. Yes, neatness! That may seem quaint and old-fashioned but the point is to teach kids to take pride in the work they do, to take their time, and to get organized.

Of course, being neat won’t take the place of learning material. It won’t give them the answers to their history class but it can help prepare kids for success. If your kids could use a lesson or two on neatness and organization, consider these simple ways to boost them:

  • Encourage your kid to always use their best handwriting. It’ll be easier to read, which could lead to a more favorable grade.
  • Teach your kids to proofread their work. There’s no question that a savvy teacher can see a rush job in a second and they’re likely to grade accordingly.
  • After your child finishes their work, have them read it out loud slowly. Does it still sound good? Can they find ways to improve it?
  • Show your kids that slowing down can actually result in a good job done more quickly.
  • Provide organization for your kids. Make sure there’s a place for everything and teach them how to declutter their room and study area.
  • Follow through with your kids. If you could use some help in the neatness and organization department, then set goal together and come up with ways to monitor and reward good behavior.
  • Remember that your child isn’t going to become neat and organized overnight. It takes time. Support their progress and don’t expect perfection out of the gate.

These are a few ideas to help improve neatness and organization. The things your child learns now will affect them for the rest of their life. For more ideas on how to teach problem-solving and other essential skills, learn more about CodeREV Kids and the classes we offer.

Skills

STEM Can Be a Part of Your Holiday Celebrations

At CodeREV Kids, we’re always looking for kids to get involved with STEM related activities and as the holidays creep up on us, we’ve been thinking about ways to keep kids excited. We came up with a way for kids to get into the spirit of Thanksgiving while becoming involved in STEM activities – and all it takes is toothpicks and cranberries.

The easiest way to get started is to divide up your cranberries and toothpicks and give each child their own baking sheet with their own supplies. This helps to ensure you don’t have to deal with crushing cranberries under your feet while you’re preparing your Thanksgiving feast! Begin by making a structure so they’ll know how it works. Essentially, you take a toothpick and put a cranberry on each end of it. Then add more toothpicks to each cranberry and before you know it, you have a structure that can be built upon.

Depending on how old your children are, this is a good time to talk to them about STEM issues like what the center of gravity is, and why a structure that has a larger base can be stable at a much higher height than a base that’s smaller.

Once they have the basic idea down, you can get creative and ask them for some interesting projects. For example, you might ask them to build a Christmas Village, or a rocket to the moon. Ask them to build something that’s even taller than the table, or even something taller than they are! If you have several kids working, you can also ask them to work collaboratively.

Remember that this project isn’t about your kids creating a perfect result. Instead, it’s a way for them to learn. If their structure breaks apart, help them figure out why. This is a great hands-on way for kids to begin to understand some of the basic principles of gravity.

At CodeREV Kids, we think projects like this are very interesting but of course we encourage kids to get involved in our comprehensive coding classes too. Like the above project, they give kids the chance to learn STEM concepts in a hands-on environment. In fact, our students wouldn’t know they were actually learning new things if we didn’t tell them – they just think they’re having fun, gaining confidence, and making new friends! The fact that they’re actually increasing a host of other skills is just an added bonus for them.

Skills

Can You Guess What the Best Paying Jobs in the Country Are?

Many people are likely not surprised that many of the best paying jobs in the United States are those held by doctors. According to a recent article in Business Insider, The Highest Paying Jobs in America, people in the medical field make up about half of the top 25 best paying jobs, with anesthesiologists topping the list as the best paid. But what about the others? Some were surprising to us at CodeREV Kids, but some weren’t surprising at all.

Some jobs surprised us

Would you have guessed that pilots are one of the top 25 best-paid professionals in the United States? Or that marketing managers were? Of course, CEOs are on the list, but they’re not nearly as high as we would have expected. Another big surprise was the six-figure salary of the average Physician Assistant. They must complete about 2 ½ years of post-graduate schooling, but that’s a lot less than doctors, and they can make more than some doctors, depending on the specialty of the doctor.

There was one entry on the list that didn’t surprise us at all

The least surprising job on this list came in at Number 20: Computer and Information Systems Managers. According to the article, their mean annual salary was $132,570. The article also said that there were more than 315,000 people currently working with this job title. That’s pretty impressive – and may make some worry if that’s a bubble that’s about to burst. Quite the contrary.

According to the article, the projected job growth in this industry is a whopping 15% between the time of the survey and 2020. At CodeREV Kids, this isn’t surprising. In fact, we know that there are going to be millions of jobs in the computer industry that aren’t going to get filled for no reason other than that there won’t be enough qualified people to take them.

Getting kids involved early is a great way to prepare them for a future career

At CodeREV Kids, we offer a host of classes that can get kids involved in coding, problem-solving, and the latest technological innovations. Whether they go on to be computer and information systems managers or something else entirely, it’s hard to argue against the fact that technology is here to stay and will be relevant to virtually any job they may want. Contact us today for more info on our many class offerings.

Skills

Why Should You Choose CodeREV’s Vanilla Minecraft Server

Your kids love Minecraft and you love to know they’re safe and protected. CodeREV Kids has the perfect option to combine these two needs. Our vanilla server lets your kids play Minecraft with other kids, learn more about the platform, and play in an online environment that’s completely safe and always monitored.

Your kids will have access to popular plugins

Of course, the best safety in the world won’t work well if your kids want to log on to another server because they can’t get what they want. That’s why we offer not only the most popular plugins that kids play with online, but some we made just for our server. We have a truly expansive hub world and an enormous amount of fantastic stuff for kids to enjoy. There’s always something new to be discovered.

Some of the features you can expect with our Minecraft server

When you choose the CodeREV Kids vanilla Minecraft server, your kids will have access to a ton of features including:

  • A full economy that’s totally player driven.
  • A server that’s constantly monitored to ensure kids get a positive, clean, safe experience.
  • Minigames (in the process right now).
  • Only players we’ve approved have access to our server.
  • A huge player hub.
  • Block protection.
  • Anti-triefing plugins.

You have options in Minecraft servers

We know you have many options but we know we’re better than your other choices. Why? For a number of reasons, including these three:

  1. We’re smaller than many others which gives us more control when administrating the server.
  2. We’re super active in both building and helping players.
  3. We offer custom plugins that aren’t available anywhere else.

Our staff knows Minecraft in and out, from building to designing to engineering and beyond. Whether your kid wants to create a sprawling city or functional computer, we can help. We have filled our world with landmarks for kids to discover or they can become builders and create their own landmarks. We are highly versed in what needs to be done to ensure a safe, fun, educational experience for every child.

Of course, our server is hosted on blazing fast SSDs, a huge amount of DDR4 ECC RAM, the best Intel Xenon processors available, and an entire gigabit connection to ensure an incredible experience. Are you still not sure if this is the right choice? Take a look at our available Minecraft modded servers too.

Skills

5 Reasons Minecraft is Great for Kids

Minecraft, a build-and-survive game currently owned by Microsoft, is widely popular amongst children. This may give parents pause but the truth is that this is actually a great game for kids to get involved in. Here are five reasons CodeREV Kids thinks Minecraft is great for kids.

1. It boosts their creativity

Think of Minecraft like Legos for the computer. Your child can build virtually anything they set their mind to, but the great thing about it is that they can build even if they have no experience. Just like with Legos, they may start off with simple structures and blocks, but as they gain confidence there’s no limit to what they can create.

2. The skills it teaches can be used in the real world

There are many skills kids will learn while mastering Mindcraft that can be very useful in the real world. For example, resource management is integral to creating anything in the game, cost-benefit analysis is needed constantly, patience is a must, perseverance is required, and teamwork can also be learned if your kid plays online.

3. It can be played anywhere

Most video games work on specific systems or require specific hardware to work. On the other hand, Minecraft can be played just about anywhere, including on computers, tablets, smartphones, the vast majority of video game systems, and a number of handheld gaming systems.

4. It’s a kid-friendly option

Many parents don’t feel comfortable with the violence that’s present in many video games. While there are some elements of fighting in Minecraft, the graphics are made of blocks and there is no blood. There’s also a “peaceful” mode that can be turned on. If you choose it, your kids will play without enemies and it will be all but impossible to die.

5. Everyone in the family can get involved

Not only is it a great game for kids to play but their parents, siblings, and other family members can get involved too. You can teach them how to be good sports when things don’t go as planned, you can turn the game off when it’s time, and you can help give them advice. You can even create a character of your own and jump into their game from a smartphone, tablet, or other computer.

Are you interested in getting your kid involved in Minecraft? Let CodeREV Kids help pave the way!

Skills

Tips for Improving a Child’s Problem-Solving Skills

It’s important that kids know how to solve problems yet many adults aren’t sure exactly how to teach them. For many people, problem-solving is something that’s simply done – we don’t always think about the processes we follow. Here are some tips to help get your kids on the right track with essential problem-solving skills.

Start by teaching your child to evaluate problems

Before a problem can be solved, it must be identified. Just stating what the problem is can help a child develop. Once they’ve identified the problem, the next step is for the child to think of several possible solutions. Look to brainstorm three or more possible solutions, discuss each solution’s pros and cons, and then together work with your child to decide which of the solutions is best. Stress that if they choose a solution that doesn’t work, they can try another solution.

Discuss problems with your child

When your child encounters a problem, avoid the urge to solve it for them. If you see them struggling, allow them the chance to solve it on their own. If they aren’t able to do so, then step in and help them find the solution themselves. Try role modeling problem-solving to give your child ideas on what to do in real life. Work together with your child on the solution. Praise them when they do well. Talk about their progress and go back to solutions if one doesn’t work.

Allow your child to experience consequences

When a child has to deal with natural consequences, they’ll have to make a choice and face the consequences themselves. Obviously you don’t want to make them face any consequences that put their safety at risk, but if they want to spend all their money, or they want to skip their homework, allowing them to do so and then not bailing them out will teach them more than punishing them.

Enroll your child in classes that promote problem-solving

There aren’t problem-solving classes but there are great options that naturally teach kids how to identify and solve problems. CodeREV Kids offers coding and robotics classes that help kids gain confidence, learn useful skills, and yes, improve their problem-solving skills. Learn more about why coding is a great choice for kids and then reach out to us with questions. We look forward to helping your child learn how to solve problems on their own.