I taught myself to design websites in the fifth grade through “oldschool” platforms like Geocities, as an outlet to express my DragonBall Z fandom to the world. I learned HTML, JavaScript and CSS on my own. To me, it was a perfect example of what a child is capable of when internally motivated. Learning this was not a chore, it was an incredibly exciting passion. Furthermore, it was an example of being able to produce something (websites) without the need for a formal certificate or degree. In another life, this may have led to an entrepreneurial path of my own choosing.

I believe that preparing a child for the future will mean equipping them with at least a basic level of digital literacy. Code.org is an education non-profit organization that has developed a K-12 Computer Science curriculum that is being implemented all across the US. Fortunately, they also offer full access to their courses online for free for parents homeschooling.

In full transparency, I’m just working through the Kindergarten module, so cannot comment on the end-to-end program. I can say though that the quality of the course is great so far, and both kids enjoy taking the lessons and solving the puzzles. Another great thing about the curriculum is that it’s entirely self-paced. While the Kindergarten module is comprised of 13 lessons – your child could complete it over the course of one “semester” at a normal pace, or, if they tapped into some computer puzzle spark of passion, voraciously consume all the lessons in two weeks… and then move on to the 1st Grade course.

That’s the beauty of our role as parents: we’re here to help them find their passions and support their pursuit of it.

It’s impossible to know what the future will hold. I do believe, however, that a deeper understanding of technology can prove helpful in many endeavors as tech weaves its way into so many industries. If your child shows an interest in it, it can also serve as a medium for them to construct things and creatively express themselves, similar to art or music.

Click here to check out the Code.org site.