Despite the clear importance of digital systems and applications in everyday life, it’s increasingly unlikely that kids today know how tech works under the hood. There are just 12 states requiring students to earn computer science credits before they can graduate,e and students in other states can easily graduate without ever seeing a single line of code.
Parents who work as developers understand how important it is to understand how computers function, so often, tech-literate parents will help their child pursue a technical education from another source.
What Does K-1 Computer Science Actually Cover?
When schools teach computer science, the elementary programs are often built around introducing the basics. Think things like code.org tutorials. By middle school, students are introduced to real code syntax, usually Python, but sometimes JavaScript. Usually, schools teach these languages as part of a single semester elective.
Standard differ per state, but most states also teach about the following as part of their computer science curriculum:
- Data representation
- Networks
- Cybersecurity
- Understanding AI
Filling the Gaps for Motivated Students
One of the biggest problems with this approach to teaching coding is that a single elective leaves a motivated14-year-oldd with nowhere to go for years. Students who want to continue learning about programming languages like Python and Java often enroll in accredited summer school courses like Silicon Valley High School Academy.
Access Still Depends on Where You Live
Access to these programs depends on location. Rural or smaller schools are unlikely to offer any computer science classes at all. Just take a look at the state-by-state snapshot of computer science access, and it’s clear to see how much of a difference there is between states.
Addressing Skill Gaps
School assignments are graded based on providing a deliverable, but students often miss out on some of the most important professional skills for computer science professionals. For example, most high school graduates are inexperienced at the following:
- Version control
- Code review
- Automated tests
- Reading unfamiliar code
- Debugging systems
- Using git
A developer parent can help to close the knowledge and skill gap by giving the kid access to a web repository and reviewing pull requests like you would review those of a junior colleague.
Closing the Computer Science Gap
For many students, computer science stops at the school door. One class, one semester, and then nothing more. That means there is a gap between what students learn in school and the more advanced skills they need to keep going. Parents who know the field can fill some of that space by turning coding, debugging, and version control into regular practice instead of a one-time lesson.
That extra access can mean the difference between finishing the assignment and creating something tangible for children who wish to continue learning. If you're interested in learning more about education and learning new skills, see our article archives.
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