Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
Let me start by saying that I do not homeschool and I honestly have never considered it…that’s just not how our family operates. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t try to take advantage of any learning opportunities I can for my kiddos above and beyond what is a part of the public school curriculum. When I was given the opportunity to review the KidCoder Beginning Website Design course by Homeschool Programming, I was pretty excited because in today’s world, everyone needs to know as much as they can about computers and technology to get ahead. That’s just the way the world is evolving whether we want to admit it or not.
I was given the option of several courses but opted to try out the Website Design Course because I felt that it would be interesting for my 6th grader without being overwhelming and since this was not a mandatory school assignment, I really wanted it to be something that he would want to work with not that mom was forcing him to do. (And secretly I’m very interested in learning web design myself so thought I may be able to take a little bit away from the course as well, but don’t tell!)
What Is Homeschool Programming
Homeschool Programming is the company that produces Kid Coder courses which are computer programming courses for kids and teens that can be done at home. It is great for homeschoolers, but could be used by anyone with an interest or a need. Each course is designed to cover a semester, but the course is self-study so you can go at your own pace, taking more or less time as needed which is great for those of us who are just using the programs for additional personal development and not actually homeschooling families. When you order any of the programs, you receive a printed and bound student text and a CD-ROM to load the program, activities, review tests, and extras onto your computer. There are also samples of the courses and demonstration videos on the website so that you can check it out before you make any decisions to purchase.
Kid Coder Beginning Web Design Course
As I mentioned, I opted to check out the Beginning Web Design course. The goal of this course is to teach kids HTML basics as they build their very own website (not a public website viewable by anyone that doesn’t have access to your computer, unless of course you decided to purchase hosting and say let you kiddo start their own blog or something). Pretty cool if you ask me. As with all the courses available from Homeschool Programming, the Beginning Web Design program includes a student text and a CD-ROM with all of the information you need to be successful and there is an optional CD-ROM that includes instructional videos if you chose to purchase it. The course obviously requires either a Windows or Mac OS based computer with a disc drive. The full system requirements can be found here. A little familiarity with the computer is probably desirable as well, but it would be my assumption, that kiddos old enough to use the program, probably already have a good grasp on computer basics.
So, Would I Pay for the Program?
In a nutshell, yes I would, but only if it were something that my kiddo were really interested in or if I was a homeschooling parent. Since my kids attend public school, while I think they are awesome and very much worth the cost, I don’t think my 12 year old would really use it unless it was a topic he really wanted to learn. In this case he is interested in web design and graphics, so the cost would have probably been worth it. This program is very thorough and begins with the basics and each chapter progresses on to more complex items. I would say that this would probably be best for kiddos in 6th grade and up. It indicates as young as 4th grade, and while it may be fine for some 10 year olds, I can’t imagine that mine would have understood very much of it or had the focus to retain much of the information at that age. .
I will say that I don’t think this is just for kids though…I think anyone wanting to learn HTML and web design basics, including myself, can definitely benefit from this course and I think I will definitely look into any advanced courses as well.
For more information and to stay in the know when new programs or deals are available, be sure to follow Homeschool Programming on Facebook.
What’s type of computer courses would you like to be available for your kiddos (or yourself)? Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Erinn S says
May 28, 2014 at 8:35 amThis is great for so many kids. I have a nephew who would love this course
tara pittman says
May 28, 2014 at 10:01 amThis sounds like a great program for moms to homeschool their kids. I like that they get a text book.
Aleshea Dominique says
May 28, 2014 at 11:13 amHmmm, seems like a great course
Winter White says
May 28, 2014 at 12:55 pmThis sounds really cool! The web is such an integral part of the way we operate in the world today so I can see how this can turn into not only a hobby but a possible career. I’m not a mom but I have a 14 year old brother who would love something like this. Thank you for sharing!
jbrobeck says
May 28, 2014 at 4:02 pmI love this idea! I barely understand HTML. Or rather, I don’t understand it at all. Even though this is for kids, I could use it!
Justina says
May 28, 2014 at 6:14 pmThis looks so neat! I would totally want to learn!
Alison says
May 30, 2014 at 8:38 amYeah, I think I’ve definitely used it as much as the kiddo has lol