Coding for Kids: Miacademy’s Introduction to Programming

You asked for it, so we made it: an introductory programming course for kids! Our online Introduction to Programming course features the story of Bea, an astronaut navigating her way through the galaxy. With engaging animations and built-in responsive feedback, our online coding course is designed for students learning at the 8th grade level and higher.

In the U.S., demand for computer scientists is projected to grow another 23% by 2032. From web developers to cybersecurity, software development and data management jobs remain in high demand around the world. Your student can get a head start on their coding skills before high school with Introduction to Programming.

Course Overview

Introduction to Programming is a middle school and high school elective designed to teach students a variety of basic computer programming skills. In this course, students can learn about:

Using different coding language syntax
Calling and designing functions
Using variables to store information
Performing complex calculations
Repeating processes
Building fundamental algorithms and more!

Each unit is complete with PDFs, instructional videos, and practice games. The course teaches not only coding but problem-solving skills as well.

The game-based, interactive stories make coding lessons fun! Each lesson is a puzzle piece of Bea’s outer space adventure. From avoiding asteroids to making breakfast on the ship, every coding assignment has a real-world application. This way, students can learn that even the smallest functions can have large, concrete results.

Task: Laser! — Coding assignments are gamified and come with animations to help students visualize their functions at work.

Some coding games for kids aren’t representative of the skills they will actually use. We wanted to give students a real coding experience, which is why we teach basic commands from the beginning.

Our program uses AI to help students troubleshoot their mistakes and find the right building blocks for their algorithms. Helping students understand their mistakes removes barriers to computer science education so they can focus on the concepts that really matter.

Task: Start Rocket — AI helps students troubleshoot mistakes, so they can continue learning without getting stuck.

The course is available now on Miacademy and MiaPrep and is recommended for grades 8 and above. The course is on track for completion in early 2024, and covers a range of introductory topics and languages. With over 1,000 code submissions after the first day of launch, the future is looking bright for our Introduction to Programming course!

Task: Delicate Juice — Students are able to practice real-world coding skills using an AI-assisted compiler.

Expert Instructors

At Miacademy, we strive to provide a quality education for every student. The core learning materials in this course were carefully designed by several of our Miaplaza curriculum developers, who hold master’s degrees in computer science, library and information science, and curriculum and instruction. Our experienced teachers and subject-matter experts are dedicated to creating the best learning experience for your students!

In addition, we partnered with the team behind Algonautin, a group of award-winning developers based in Germany. With five national wins and three international medalists for competitive computer science, the team at Algonautin is passionate about making computer science education easy and accessible for as many students as possible.

Katharina Bade, one of Algonautin’s course developers, knows that students’ first impression of computer science is of utmost importance. “I want to show students that every topic can be interesting and enjoyable. We spent a lot of time trying to make things easy, keeping things incremental, introducing one thing at a time.”

Introduction to Programming was designed specifically to mitigate the challenges that often come with learning how to code. Gregor Matl, one of Algonautin’s lead developers, described the way the course helps students through the early frustrations of coding. “Instead of numbers or strings, we are letting students work with interesting objects and animations […] [so that they] can build powerful programs from the very beginning. This way, students will get a visual understanding of how their solutions work step-by-step and can immediately spot the cause in case their algorithm does not operate the way they intended it.”

As dedicated students themselves, many of the team members volunteer as coaches for the International Olympiad of Informatics and mentor other highly motivated students. Their goal is to reveal what’s behind the curtain — to prove that anyone can learn computer science!

Image of three middle school students working on a laptop together

Quality Education from Miacademy

We believe that all students deserve access to a quality education. Whether you attend a public school, are homeschooled, or are just looking for fun after-school activities, Miacademy has got you covered! With thousands of K-12 lessons and activities, our online curriculum has something for everyone.

Introduction to Programming is not just a course. It’s an innovative learning experience that will introduce students of all backgrounds to the exciting world of computer science. Thanks to the hard work from Algonautin’s experts, computer science can be engaging and inspiring for students worldwide.

As the demand for computer scientists continues to rise, the future looks bright for code-savvy students. So far, students are loving their lessons, and their parents are leaving glowing reviews! With hundreds of enthusiastic learners already enrolled, Introduction to Programming is already offering strong prospects in the world of computer science education.