Upper Elementary School Coding Classes need typing skills.

Upper and Early Elementary age cutoffs overlap each other because we have seen 8 year old students ready for the next level, and 9 and 10 year old students who are more comfortable starting with the drag and drop visual interface of Scratch and Minecraft Coding.

Upper Elementary Coding Classes use typing as the main way to program, and so typing speed is also a factor in deciding whether the student should take Early or Upper Elementary Coding Classes. Students should be able to touch type comfortably to get the most out of these classes.

Students used to typing on a keyboard are able to access a variety of programming languages that coding professionals use.

There are two main paths we suggest for our upper elementary school students.

Python Coding Classes are the most extensive with over 10 different levels from absolute beginner to super advanced. Each class focuses on one coding concept, and the teacher guides the student through various exercises and fun projects to learn that coding concept. Beginner students are introduced to Python, which is a great language for beginners to start “coding like a pro”.

Javascript Gaming Classes are based on project-based learning. Students take a whole 8-week semester to create an elaborate video game. Each lesson builds on the previous lesson and in the end the students have a full game with their own custom characters, enemies and surprises.

HTML/Javascript Web Design Classes are also based on project-based learning. The curriculum is similar to the Javascript Gaming class, except at the end of the semester, the students have a nice website based on the students interest (e.g. favorite animal, favorite book series, or comic series). We mix in a lot of Javascript so that the students learn how to make their website interactive.