Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
Simply Coding is a company that has created a huge number of classes over topics related to learning to write code for computers and learning technology skills that will benefit everyone. Coding for Kids Annual Membership gives access to everything on the website for one year. They have a 10 day free trial to find out more. But let me tell you about the company, what they offer, and our experience.
Simply Coding is a company that was born out of the understanding from the founders that everyone needs to have a background in technology and some basic code writing skills. Computer science is growing and changing before our eyes and these guys recognized it. Setting up a “summer camp” for their nieces and nephews, they tested their idea and curriculum. Thus, Simply Coding was born and it continues to grow and thrive through summer camps, in school and after school programs, and with online pathways.
The mission of Simply Coding is this: to prepare youth with the core principles of how all software is created so they can feel confident and able to contribute to technology of the future.” – on the About page from the website
In order to fulfill the mission, Simply Coding has over 40 courses that members can access. The site says it is for ages 11 – 18 but there is a lot on there that adults could benefit from, also. There are four areas these courses fit under:
1 – Simply Coding – how to work with various code languages, building websites, using Java, creating games and apps, and more.
2 – Simply Media – classes on photography, videography, different Adobe programs, and more.
3 – Simply Tech Essentials – different application programs, particularly Microsoft but also Google applications and Prezi, plus some general introductions to computers
4 – Simply Tech4Kids has a number of options that will help younger students get into some different technology areas that might be more interesting than the programming websites and such. This includes electronics, blogging, photography, and keyboarding skills, in addition to creating a YouTube channel. Lots of interesting things that I wish we had found earlier! This seems to be materials directed more towards the younger end of the age range for the Simply Coding site.
With the variety of materials on here, it seems there would be something for everyone. The classes run in different formats, depending on what you are learning. I started the photography course and it is simple. An instruction video runs (a few minutes up to 10 minutes per video) and then there is a short quiz to see if you were paying attention. After a few videos, it was time to upload some projects. I was disappointed that I couldn’t go further without uploading projects because I was wanting to learn more about photography but I don’t have a DSL camera. Since I couldn’t upload the projects, I could not continue. Maybe sometime soon. . .
Miss J is 11 and thought that learning to code a simple website would be fun. She started the Intro To Websites course. It us a fairly straight-forward navigation but you must be on a computer that you can download and save to. Which means this is not a portable program for us but we knew that ahead of time. 🙂
Each section of the lesson lists what it is at the top and you can navigate there through a sidebar to get to where you were working. You read the instructions and the work in the box on the right to complete the task being asked for and see what it does. This clear example is very helpful. If you need a video to teach you what is on the screen, the green button top center will do that for you. This was helpful for Miss J several times as she worked with the program because she just had a difficult time following the instructions. They just didn’t make sense to her. These video reviews really helped.
While this is a great skill to have, it quickly became obvious that Miss J was just not going to enjoy learning to code. This was not a good fit for her. I also struggled with using this program but it had more to do with my time at home on a computer that could work with their coding program.
Simply Coding is a strong company and the way they handle instruction is very good. The variations in styles of instruction varies with instructor and course, which is good. Different courses need different styles of instruction. The video based instruction runs from a video of the actual instructor (photography), to a video of animated instructors (Blogging For Kids), to an audio over a video of the computer screen showing what actions need to be taken for that programming/coding step (Intro to Coding). This variety does a good job of fitting the type of audience the course is aimed at and the type of instruction actually being given/what is needed.
Many students will benefit from Simply Coding and the courses they offer. There is much to be gained from this site and we are going to continue to explore some of the other course options that are not programming. Perhaps one of the girls will want to use the Blogging For Kids course, which is only 5 modules. Or maybe the photography or keyboarding classes.
Any family can gain much with the many different options available on Simply Coding for learning any number of technology-based things.
Be sure to visit the Homeschool Review Crew to read about other families experiences with Simply Coding because a lot of them have had great success with this company and it was a terrific fit for their tech interested students.
Blessings,
Lori, At Home.
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– A free download that is used most every day. Miss E has been doing all of her Lads to Leaders daily reading on it. Simple to use and some of the versions have audio.
– We have enjoyed having this game for the girls to work on their math. They loved it when we first had it but it has kind of worn off a bit now. Still, I think they enjoy it some when they use this app.
– $1.99 at the time of this writing and one I would gladly spend money on. It is played often by the girls. I have even been known to spend time on it.
– $1.99 at the time of this writing for the full version. There is a free version but it only has a couple of the games. My first grader enjoys this even now, though we used it primarily when she was a kindergartener.
– This is a fun one that will read the story to you. It is a storybook Bible, not a standard translation. We have had a couple of conversations due to the phrasing of some of the stories so do be aware of it. They seem to be adding to it periodically.
– $1.99 at the time of this writing. Totally worth it for us. Miss E loves Stack the Countries almost as much as Stack the States.
– $1.99 at the time of this writing. This is another that we have used a lot. Very much worth the cost in my opinion. Good application of these concepts.
– $1.99 at the time of this writing. Miss J loves this even though she now knows all of her letters and numbers. She still enjoys using this app and has lots of fun with it. And it will still help her handwriting.
– This free app is one that is “just” a game. We all need just games once in a while but it is one that Miss J enjoys using. It really works on visual acuity and matching minute details. Truth be told, this is probably my absolute favorite app for myself.
– $3.99 at the time of this writing. This is one I found as a freebie and we have enjoyed having it. We have used it a number of times in science studies. I am on the lookout for more of these. We’d love to have one on birds.
– This is free but it is not the full IXL program. There are a limited number of math problems per day. It is still a fun way to practice math.
– This free download is a fun way for the girls to practice some Bible knowledge. Miss E and Miss J enjoy working together with this app. Sometimes, they pull At Home Dad in as well. We have found a couple of incorrect answers so just be aware.
– This free download is tons of fun. It gets the whole family involved. We have found a couple of questions that are incorrect so just be aware.
– This is a free download that we have put on Miss E’s Kindle, as well as mine. She tends to have work that requires consulting a dictionary and while we have a pretty good dictionary, she sometimes still has to hop on the computer to look a word up that isn’t in our dictionary. As she grows, it will be good for her to have it and it will get more use.
– This free download is tied to my free Quizlet account and the kids have access to all of the quiz sets I have made. They use this daily to practice their memory work for church, as well as to practice for Lads to Leaders Bible Bowl.
– A free app, this has more than one language to help you learn. I have been using the Spanish. It is pretty fun and is a challenge for me. Not for beginners but you certainly don’t need to know a lot to get use from this free app.
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– I grabbed this free download because it has all the flags of the different countries separated out by continents. With out geography boxes going on this spring, this fits well with Miss J needing access to flags.
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