Make sure you check out the full review and enter to win an mBot2 at the bottom of the post!

Why Buy a Coding Robot for Kids?

I did the ultimate test to make sure this was the best for my child! I gave it to my website developer, my 12-year-old son! He is a coding wizard, and I knew if he enjoyed it, it would be a hit for all my boys!

Coding is a subject children should be learning because it is becoming a big part of our everyday lives. It is just like a language; if they start at a young age, it will be easier to learn more advanced coding concepts when they are older. The robot brings coding to life and makes it more accessible and motivating to learn.

I set my son up with the more advanced Makeblock mBot2 Rover Robotics Kit. He built the original mBot2 in about 30 minutes, and then the add-ons took him a few hours. To program this coding robot for kids, it uses a program similar to Scratch, a free coding program from MIT.

It uses blocks to stack pieces of code to program the robot. You can then look underneath the coding blocks to see the corresponding Python code and start learning Python, the most common coding language. 

Best Coding Robot for Kids

My son loved how easy it was to code the robot and was able to program it to move right away. It’s always great when your kids can figure something out quickly and immediately get a result from their work. We’ve only used it for a few days, but he has programmed the arms to move, made sounds and expressions, and programmed it to move back and forth. I know he’ll be using it all the time with over 22 learning cases, 4 complete projects, 8 courses he can try, and endless ways to customize the robot.

It’s also durable, with solid metal parts and heavy-duty wheels. It can even go outside and works over rocks and grass. My son has many rough-and-tumble little brothers, so this coding robot for kids must be built to last. 

I can’t wait to see all my son can do with his robot as he learns how to program and control it! Maybe he can make it help with his chores! LOL

More Makeblock mBot2 Features

Some more fun features the Makeblock mBot2 has that we haven’t had time to explore is the remote control, Lego compatibility, speech recognition and programmable sensors! 

The Bluetooth remote control will be great for hand-eye coordination and developing programs for item recovery or dueling. The programmable sensors can pick up on color, movement, expressions, and more! I’m really intrigued by the obstacle avoidance function because it is exactly what a lot of cars are using right now.

The mBot2 can also be customized with Legos and with the different components that are included in the add on Rover Kit. You can create anything you put your mind to with this coding robot for kids! “Robot, pick up my room!” Now wouldn’t that be fun!?

Coding Robot for Future Education

There’s a reason so many homeschoolers are adding this kind of robot into their curriculum. They know that coding and robotics is the future of work and innovation. More and more jobs require the understanding of basic coding principals. Proficiency in these areas will provide our children with a huge advantage in careers and in business. 

Not only that, Coding robots for kids help them troubleshoot and think critically. When a program doesn’t work as expected, they’ll learn to debug it, test, and try again—valuable skills for any area of work.

I really think including a coding robot in your homeschool curriculum will give them vital skills in the fast changing technological world.

Best Coding Robot for Kids Giveaway

Enter to win a Makeblock mBot2 coding robot kit worth $150! Simply fill out the rafflecopter below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you Makeblock for providing this giveaway and robot for review.

Giveaway void where prohibited. Must be 18yrs. US Mailing addresses only. Ends 12/24/24.

The post Best Coding Robot for Kids? Makeblock mBot2 Hands-On Review and Giveaway! first appeared on True Aim.

This post is sponsored by Simply Coding, for more information please read my full disclosure.

Give your kids the skills they need by teaching them to code at an early age. Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program is a great way to get them started. There are no required prerequisites necessary, just a computer with an Internet connection and your child can be off and running!

Stand Out Features of Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program

1. It’s an online program.

The fact that the program is online means you can access it from anywhere, on any computer that has Internet access. I can’t begin to tell you how convenient it is to not have my son tied to just one computer for this learning program! It means he can do it when we are out at the library, or on a laptop, or if one room is too noisy, I can move him to another without an issue.

2. Provides an 8 Gig USB Flash Drive

Given that the program is online and thus you can use it on any computer with Internet access, it is great that they provide a Flash Drive for your child to save their work on. This makes it easily portable because you are not storing your work on any one computer, but instead on the the Flash Drive which you can easily take with you.

3. Works on both PC and MAC computers.

4. Create 3 Working Games

This is not just about lecturing and learning rote steps. With Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program your kids will learn how to code 3 different games which when those skills a combined together are the building blocks for them to build their own games.

5. Short Simple Lessons

Each lesson is not overwhelmingly long. This is a bonus because it can be difficult for kids to absorb so much at one time, especially with something that is possibly very new and more complex. Each Lesson contains text to read, a video review, and an activity to complete. I love that you can get the information both by reading it as well as by watching the video as not everyone has the same learning style.

6. Live Chat Assistance

One very unique characteristic of this Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program is that you have Live Chat Assistance available to you. This service is available from 8am – 6pm MST. Along with this there is also a community forum where you can get on and ask questions.

How Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program Works

Upon purchasing Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program you will receive a package in the the mail that contains the 8 Gig USB Flash Drive as well as an Access Code to use at the Simply Coding website.

Simply take the code to the site and create an account.

Then you have access to over 30 hours of content in the form of step by step lessons that are done at your own pace. This means if my child wants to do multiple lessons at a time, he can! It also means that if they are struggling or don’t have as much time, they can easily complete one lesson and move on for the day.

Use code HN8BF2U4 for 25% off until 1/31/16

At the completion of each group of lessons, for instance 1.1-1.9, there is a quiz to test their knowledge of what has been covered in that lesson. These quizzes are a great self-check for your kids to check their understanding of the material. While they can take the quizzes as many times as they want, they will need to get 100% to move on to the next section of lessons.

I highly recommend Simply Coding Javascript Learning Program for your budding coders. The program is clean and organized, simple to follow, and fun to do. My son was happy that it included a download containing all of the workspace files, music and images you need as well as a text editor to create your code files. He and his sister sat together, changing the bouncing object in Pong from the image files and playing around with the speed and size forever!

Simply Coding’s Other Courses

• Minecraft Mods in Java
• Responsive Web Development
• JavaScript – Tower Defense
• JavaScript – Racing
• Phone Apps
• and more!

The post Learn to Code! first appeared on True Aim.

ABCMouse Review

1.  They have HOW many activities?

There are over 3000 different activities!  They cover all the basic preschool subjects including Reading, Math, Art, Music, Science, Social Studies, and Basic Computer Skills.  All three of my children enjoy the program because there is something for each of their levels; Toddler Time, Preschool, and Kindergarten.

2.  Customization

There are so many things to customize in the program from the clothes the children’s avatars are wearing to the activities your children can play.  One tool I love is the Lesson Builder.  This allows you to choose the books, games, and activities your children play in order to complete a lesson and earn a special reward.  You simply drag and drop what you want.  This helps when a child needs more work on a specific area, like counting by tens or that one letter sound they just can’t remember.  You can also block any activities that you don’t want your child doing.

3.  Affordable

A one year subscription costs as little as .22 cents a day!  That’s about $6.50 a Month!  Plus, the access you have to their printables lasts beyond the subscription.  Just put them in sheet protectors, use dry erase markers and they will last for years.

4.  They will LOVE it

Whoever created the reward system for this program is genius!  My daughter loves getting tickets from the activities so she can buy pets in the pet store.  As soon as your children understand the rewards, they will beg to play all the time!

Become a Mouse House today!

Try it Free for 30 Days, then get 2 Free Months when you subscribe!

Or enter to win a year subscription good for up to 3 children below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

The post Preschool Learning Games: ABC Mouse Review and Giveaway! first appeared on True Aim.

 Wondering when and why to start teaching them to type? You can read my introduction about why I am teaching my Emma to type here. 

Good Posture

The first step is to make sure your children have good posture and can see all of the keys.  Your children’s arms will get tired very quickly if the keyboard is too high. Make sure that their elbows are close to a 90 degree angle.

I have this Keekaroo chair that allows me to adjust the seat and the foot rest. My children are able to sit with perfect posture at any table.  I’ve have had it for a year now and it still looks brand new.  I use it for all of the kids in my preschool class to help them learn to type and write.

 

2 Birds With One Stone

I started by teaching my toddler how to type her name.  This made the lesson more meaningful and taught her how to spell her name while introducing her to the keyboard.  After setting the Sans Serif font at 100pt, I told Emma, “We are going to spell your name with the computer today.”  First, I put her hands in a resting position.  Then, I touched the correct finger we would use to type E and then help here locate the key.  I had her push it several times with the proper finger.  I said, “Uh, oh. That is a little “e” and we need a big “E”.” Then, I showed her how to hold down the Shift button with the correct finger and push the e at the same time to make a big letter E.  She was so excited.  I had her do that several times with the correct fingers.

I rewarded her with a Popsicle Stick. That was the end of our first lesson!  I kept the lesson very short (about 5min) because I wanted to keep her excitement up.

Next, I had her add a letter at a time, until she could type her whole name without any assistance.  You may need to adjust the pace of your lesson to match your children’s ability.  If your children cannot identify the letters in their name, you will need to go slower.  Ideally, your children would already be familiar with the alphabet before you start teaching them to type.  (However, if they are not, teaching your children to type is also a great way to teach the alphabet.)

Make each lesson different by changing the color of the font or background.  When they can type all of the letters with minimal help, you can print their name and celebrate with a treat or snack.  Remember to teach them to press the keys with the correct fingers.  That really is the key.  If you allow them to peck the keys, you will only have to reteach them later.  See the image below to make sure you are teaching your child the correct fingering.  When they can type their name while maintaining proper posture, speed and finger placement, they are ready to move on to the next step.  Join me next time for Step 2, as I continue my journey to Teach my Toddler to Type.

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The post Teaching Toddlers to Type: STEP 1 first appeared on True Aim.

Traditionally, children are taught to write in grade school and it is not until middle school or even high school that they take a serious typing class.  I decided to teach my two-year-old typing and writing at the same time.  Here are 3 reasons I think typing should be taught early, alongside any writing instruction.

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The post Why Teach Toddlers to Type? first appeared on True Aim.