One of the *best* (okay, one of the MANY) great things about homeschooling is the chance to completely taylor your kids education. In addition to the necessary basics I can chose the extras that I think are going to be useful and fun. Computer programming definitely falls in this category of useful and fun, in my book. The Homeschool Programming company was created by passionate parents (who happen to homeschool) who couldn't find the material that they envisioned when they went searching for a great program for their kids to use to learn coding. I myself have done some research on available programs (having an IT degree myself and thinking it an important study area) and have also found the offerings for kids to be few and not that awesome - so I can attest to the fact that there was a void to be filled in this area! Homeschool Programming was born, and now has classes in Visual Basic, Web Design, C+, and Java.
Why buy a program, you say? Aren't there tons of free resources online to help you learn how to build a webpage?! Yes, there are, of course. But the Kid Coder Web Series looks to be thorough, engaging, and enjoyable. It is designed just for kids (but definitely useable by teens and adults) and will give them a great foundation to branch out from. I often feel, online, that it's unfortunately true that you get what you pay for when it comes to the slew of freebies out there.
Notes & Thoughts:
- The program focuses on HTML and CSS. I think CSSs are a little more complicated than basic HTML, but they're everywhere so I'm glad that they are introduced early on in the course material.
- Each semester is made up of chapters which are subdivided into small and managable lessons. It is easy to complete a chapter a week, without feeling like you're working TOO hard! There are 4 lessons within a chapter and then a chapter review and activity. So the course lends itself to daily use.
- Although the main focus is on the technical aspects, there are also sections that discuss branding and content generation. I like that this focus on marketing is also included, it provides a more well rounded introduction to how to design/work with the Internet.
- Optional DVDs are available if you have a learner that works better with that style of instruction, but they don't replace the book. The lessons on the DVD provide a nice intro to the chapter, but you'll still need the student manual. You can see some demos of their videos to get a good feel for them, here.
- The student book is engaging but definitely not dumbed down for children. It is chock full of LOTS of information, and it may take your kids some time to process it all! There are very clear instructions, and lots of pictures where needed, but there is also a lot of content to absorb.
- The class consists of two semesters of material, it is designed to be completed during the space of one school year if you pace it at 3 to 4 hours a week.
- You, as the parent, do not need ANY background in web programming in order to use this. A full solutions manual is provided, and the material is taught directly at the child.
- Homeschool Programming provides prompt and helpful customer support for any questions you might have. You probably won't need help, however, because the text even walks your kids through how to troubleshoot their projects when something isn't working right.
- I like that it's more than just a basic intro to HTML. The scope starts with what the Internet is, why you care about learning how to code a page, and then walks you through a project "from the ground up", so to speak!
- The software that comes with the program can be used on both Mac and Windows machines, and the developers tested their sites with 4 of the big main name browsers out there. If you have an older machine you can check out the prerequs for your system, here. If your child is younger, like mine, it might also be a good idea to review the prerequs for what your child should already know how to do on the computer before starting this, here!
- I think we'll be going through this material more than once. We've been trying it out, and doing the activities, but there are just so many ideas in it that are completely new to Bentley - I'm sure that if we come back to it again in a year or two we'll internalize (both of us) even more of the material.
- The material gets harder as you get farther into the book. I'm anticipating that although semester one (Beginning Web Coder) was doable with Bentley, we might want to wait a bit longer before coming back to semester two (Advanced Web Design, which covers Javascript, for example!).
- I hope you'll check this company out if you're looking for a way to add some computer science fun into your curriculum. I'm excited to have discovered this company and look forward to purchasing their other products as my kids get a bit older.
- I hope you'll check this company out if you're looking for a way to add some computer science fun into your curriculum. I'm excited to have discovered this company and look forward to purchasing their other products as my kids get a bit older!
Check them out on Facebook, here. They often run some great deals on their materials so it's worth checking around before you buy.
Other members of The Old Schoolhouse's Review Crew also received Kid Coder Web Series, as well as other fun products from Homeschool Programming. Check out their reviews here for more great thoughts and opinions.
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