Learning to code is becoming an increasingly valuable skill, even for young kids. With technology continuing to transform our world, coding helps teach critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
As a leading program for teaching coding to kids, CodeMonkey offers a variety of courses tailored to different age groups and coding levels.
In this article, we aim to provide a comprehensive look at CodeMonkey courses for kids – from the skills gained to teaching methods to effectiveness for various age groups – to help parents make an informed decision about this program.
Contents
Overview of CodeMonkey
Founded in 2016, CodeMonkey is an edtech company providing game-based courses that teach real coding languages to children. Their courses use gaming environments to create an engaging method for learning coding basics to more advanced programming skills.
CodeMonkey courses are aimed at kids ages 4 through 15 and range from introductory block-based coding to text-based coding in languages like CoffeeScript and Python. The curriculum is designed to be self-paced or used in classrooms and coding camps.
Many students worldwide have used CodeMonkey to gain critical thinking skills and learn computer science fundamentals. Along with fun courses for kids, CodeMonkey provides lesson plans, assignments, and professional development for teachers.
Read on: CodeMonkey Review: A Fun and Engaging Way for Kids to Learn Coding
CodeMonkey Course Options
CodeMonkey structures its courses into five levels spanning early childhood through middle school.
Pre-K & Kindergarten
The CodeMonkey Jr. app teaches the foundations of coding to preschoolers and kindergarteners through a progression of gaming challenges. Using visual block-based coding, kids create basic sequences of commands that guide a monkey to treasures. This introductory course provides a playful first step into coding concepts.
1st & 2nd Grade
Designed for ages 6 to 8, Coding Adventure uses a game environment to introduce text-based coding in CoffeeScript syntax. Students help a monkey gather bananas by writing basic scripted commands. This course provides an easy transition from block coding to real programming languages.
Grades 2-5
The flagship CodeMonkey Course has students’ code games featuring different monkeys. Across multiple levels, kids ages 8 to 11 begin coding in CoffeeScript to manipulate game elements. This course teaches real coding within a game kids design themselves.
Grades 6-8
Middle schoolers can take their skills further with advanced CodeMonkey courses utilizing Python and JavaScript. Options like Game Design and Chatbots provide more complexity for ages 11 to 14. At this stage, students can build fully functional games, apps, and websites.
Digital Literacy
For all ages, CodeMonkey offers digital literacy courses introducing online safety, privacy, critical thinking, and coding basics. These supplemental courses teach vital skills for safely navigating the digital world.
In addition to CodeMonkey courses for kids, they provide professional development for educators. These programs help teachers implement coding curricula and get comfortable teaching programming concepts.
Key Features of CodeMonkey Courses
Game-Based Learning Environment
All CodeMonkey courses wrap lessons in fun gaming interfaces to keep kids engaged. Whether guiding a monkey through challenges or designing their own games, students learn coding in an enjoyable context. This gaming approach accommodates different learning styles.
Teaches Real Coding Languages
Starting in 1st grade, CodeMonkey courses teach text-based coding languages like CoffeeScript and Python rather than just block coding. This allows students to gain tangible programming skills applicable to real-world development.
Self-Paced or Instructor-Led
CodeMonkey courses work well for independent learning or in classroom and camp settings. The self-paced dashboard allows kids to progress at their own pace while tracking their progress. For group learning, lesson plans help instructors guide students.
Standards-Aligned Curriculum
Following computer science education standards, the CodeMonkey curriculum is designed to teach computational thinking, problem-solving, critical thinking, and other core skills alongside programming. This alignment ensures comprehensive learning.
Progress Monitoring for Teachers
The teacher dashboard provides insights into student progress and activity to inform instruction. With assigned curriculum and automated grading, CodeMonkey lessons integrate smoothly into formal education.
Easy to Navigate Interface
CodeMonkey’s course structure gives a consistent experience across levels. The platform is visually intuitive for students to pick up and is designed to avoid confusion. This makes coding more accessible for visual learners.
No Coding Experience Required
CodeMonkey courses start from the ground up, so no prior coding knowledge is needed. The courses scale up incrementally, allowing true beginners to gain confidence in their skills through practice and achievements.
Benefits of CodeMonkey Courses for Kids
Coding is much more than a technical skill. Here are some of the key benefits kids gain through the courses:
Computational Thinking Skills
Coding requires logically breaking down problems into steps a computer can execute, teaching core computational thinking abilities. These skills are valuable across subjects.
Improved Problem-Solving
Coding requires perseverance, testing, and logical thinking to diagnose and fix errors. These problem-solving muscles strengthen kids’ abilities to intelligently tackle any challenge.
Creativity & Self-Expression
Designing games and apps allows kids to express their creativity. Coding gives them the tools to bring their imaginations to life in a meaningful way.
Confidence & Achievement
Mastering new coding skills and tackling incrementally harder lessons builds confidence. Seeing their programs execute gives a great sense of empowerment and achievement.
Communication Skills
Coding has its own structure and syntax for communicating ideas. Learning this vocabulary strengthens kids’ verbal and written communication abilities.
Exposure to Future Careers
Gaining hard coding skills opens kids’ eyes to technology career paths. The problem-solving mindset also applies to other STEM fields.
Life Skills
Persistence, logical thinking, and troubleshooting taught through coding apply to any challenge kids will face. These mental habits have lifelong value.
CodeMonkey courses teach kids so much more than just programming. The skills gained provide benefits that carry into other academics, careers, and life in general.
Who Can Benefit from CodeMonkey?
CodeMonkey aims its courses at a wide range of young learners:
Age 7 and Up
CodeMonkey courses are designed for students as young as first grade. CodeMonkey Jr. even accommodates preschoolers in coding fundamentals. With no experience required, any kid aged 7 and up can start building skills.
All Coding Skill Levels
From complete beginners to kids with some exposure, CodeMonkey meets students at their experience level. The carefully scaffolded courses allow progression through advancing skills.
Schools and Camps
With standards-aligned lessons, progress tracking, and teaching resources, CodeMonkey is built for classroom and camp settings. Both public and private schools utilize CodeMonkey to engage students in computer science.
Extracurricular Coding
After-school coding clubs, weekend programs, and summer camps appreciate CodeMonkey’s game-based learning for sparking interest in programming. CodeMonkey courses bring coding to life as a fun activity.
Home Learning
For parents looking to supplement school or spark their child’s interest, CodeMonkey provides quality coding content for home learning. Kids can work through self-paced courses independently.
No matter their age, experience, or education setting, CodeMonkey can effectively teach coding to kids who are eager to learn.
CodeMonkey’s Teaching Methods
Instead of dull lectures, CodeMonkey takes an engaging approach to coding:
Game-Based Learning
CodeMonkey wraps all lessons and challenges within fun gaming interfaces to keep motivation high as kids learn. This makes coding enjoyable rather than a chore.
Bite-Sized Lessons
Each concept is broken down into manageable pieces that can be learned in short sessions. This allows progress in as little as 10 minutes for easy retention.
Learn by Doing
Instead of passively watching, students actively code within the platform. This hands-on method cements coding skills through practice and experimentation.
Self-Paced or Led
Depending on the learning environment, kids can work self-paced, or an instructor can deliver lessons. This flexibility works for different teaching approaches.
Storytelling
Characters and narratives threaded through CodeMonkey courses add an element of fun while providing context for coding goals. This storytelling technique engages kids’ imaginations.
Teaching Resources
For instructors, lesson plans, assignments, assessments, and professional development ensure comprehensive coding education. This support allows quality teaching.
CodeMonkey combines evidence-based teaching techniques with innovations like gaming and storytelling to create a unique coding learning experience.
Feedback from Students and Parents
With many students reached, CodeMonkey has made a huge impact. Here’s some real user feedback on their experience:
“After doing CodeMonkey for just a couple of months, my 7-year-old son’s problem-solving skills have really improved. He can now debug issues in his code himself to get the programs running.”
“I like CodeMonkey because you get to build games that you can actually play and share with friends. Learning to code is way more fun than I thought it would be!”
“My daughter never showed much interest in technology until starting CodeMonkey. Now she begs to work on her coding projects before doing anything else!”
“I enrolled my after-school program in CodeMonkey and the students are so engaged. The interface is perfect for keeping their interest and they love the cute monkeys!”
“We use CodeMonkey at our school’s summer coding camp. The kids have an absolute blast with it and it keeps them wanting to learn more.”
It’s clear from parents and teachers that CodeMonkey hits the mark for engaging and educating kids in computer science. CodeMonkey courses instill coding skills and problem-solving in an approachable way.
Pros and Cons of CodeMonkey Courses
CodeMonkey provides well-designed, gamified coding content for kids. Based on hands-on testing and user reviews, here are the major pros and cons to consider:
Pros
- Engaging, game-based learning environment
- Self-paced for independent learning
- Instructor resources for group classes
- Teaches real-world coding languages
- Standards-aligned curriculum
- Fun characters and storytelling
Cons
- Could be more challenging for advanced coders
- Some navigation quirks in platform
- Monthly subscription required for full access
For most beginners, CodeMonkey’s positives far outweigh any limitations. CodeMonkey courses instill coding skills and critical thinking in a truly fun way not seen in many coding programs.
How Much Do CodeMonkey Courses Cost?
CodeMonkey offers subscription-based access to their full coding curriculum. Here are the pricing options:
- Student Plan – $9 per month billed annually. Gives 1 student access to all CodeMonkey courses.
- Team Plan – Starts at $20 per month billed annually. For classrooms and coding teams. Up to 60 student accounts.
- Enterprise Plan – Custom quote. For larger schools and districts. Includes license management, LMS integration, and premium support.
While a paid subscription is required, CodeMonkey does offer a free trial so students can test it out before committing. They also provide some free coding lessons and activities on their website for anyone to try.
Based on the depth of lessons, many find the monthly cost reasonable compared to private coding tutors or tech camps. Use these exclusive CodeMonkey coupon codes to save on subscriptions when possible.
Our Verdict on CodeMonkey
In testing over 15 kids’ coding programs, CodeMonkey stands out as a leader in delivering engaging and educational coding curricula. The combination of game-based learning, incremental skill building, and programming real languages provides a world-class computer science education.
While the platform has some minor quirks, the overall user experience is smooth. CodeMonkey truly makes learning coding exciting through its gaming format and charming visual style.
We highly recommend CodeMonkey courses for any student aged 7 to 15 looking to successfully learn coding skills, computational thinking, and problem-solving. The curriculum provides interactive challenges suitable for beginners and kids with some experience alike.
Schools and other academic programs would also benefit tremendously from adopting CodeMonkey. For parents wanting to give their kids a leg up, CodeMonkey provides quality online courses for home learning as well.
Try out free samples from CodeMonkey to experience their engaging approach for yourself. And take advantage of any coupon codes available to get their premium subscription at the best price.
CodeMonkey delivers an exceptional, well-rounded coding education that sparks critical thinking and opens up technology career paths. Kids will gain skills to launch them into the digital future while simply having fun.
