Best Tools for Learning Coding is designed to help you gain your first lines of code. The set comes with a manual that teaches you the fundamentals of programming, then provides exercises that allow you to write the code yourself. Near the end, it contains more complex challenges that test your understanding of elements like variables and loops. Prior experience with coding is not necessary, but students will want to be computer literate.
Open the world of computer programming to your young learners with our Best Tools for Learning Coding! Each tool features a different aspect of coding, allowing beginners to get acquainted with this exciting new technology. Kits sold separately. Kits include: Essential tools for learning coding, including various colored building blocks, cylinders, and ramps; Beginner project Blueprints for teaching basic coding concepts; LCD screen & keyboard; USB interface & programming software
Codecademy
Codecademy is possibly one of the most popular online code-teaching websites. At Codecademy, you can learn seven different languages: HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, Python, Ruby, and PHP. Once you learn the basic languages, you can move on to more advanced tasks like building a website, making a Rails app, using APIs to make applications, and other fun goals.
Track your progress by gaining points, earning points, and racking up a high day streak. Codecademy is constantly expanding their offerings so expect to see even more from them in the coming years.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy started as one man tutoring his cousin. Today, Khan Academy teaches people all over the world. Unlike other online resources to teach coding, Khan Academy isn’t limited to just computing courses—you can also learn about various subjects from math to arts & humanities.
Under Khan Academy’s computing courses, you can learn JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. You can also learn computer science basics. If you only have a short amount of time, there is even an “Hour of Code” option.
Code Avengers
If you want to learn how to build a website, apps, or games, Code Avengers is the site for you. Code Avengers has over 100 hours of courses teaching you how to build websites in HTML & CSS and games or apps in JavaScript.
Before you even sign up, you can try out the lower level lessons. To help you remember what you learned, you can take notes along the way which will save to your account.
Learn Python the Hard Way
Despite its name, Learn Python the Hard Way really is meant to be for beginners. Learn Python the Hard Way is a book that you can purchase (or try out for free) that gives you videos for each exercise and the ability to continue working whether you’re on- or offline.
The book claims to be “made for beginners who know nothing about programming. Not a book claiming to be for beginners but really for programmers.”
Mozilla Developer Network
While built for developers, you can still learn coding basics from Mozilla Developer Network. First learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and go on to learn more advanced skills like integrating with APIs or security. Tutorials and references are available to teach you your new skills.
Mimo
“Mimo is a free mobile app that allows you to learn to code on the go. Whether you are interested in learning how to build an app, a website or a game, Mimo makes it easy to understand the basics of each platform. I am constantly on the move, so I enjoy the luxury of learning basic code no matter where I am.” – Duran Inci, Optimum7
MIT OpenCourseWare
“If you’re trying to learn a language like Python or JavaScript, spend some time on MIT’s OpenCourseWare platform learning computer science fundamentals. Having that background will make learning specific languages easier, because you’ll have an understanding of the underlying mechanics.” – Ashish Datta, Setfive Consulting
PyLadies and other meetups
“I’ve been a member of PyLadies for over five years; it’s a free meetup for women working with Python. What your local meetup offers depends on where you are. PyLadies PDX does at least one beginner-friendly class every year, as well as a place to connect with more experienced programmers willing to help out newer programmers.” – Thursday Bram, The Responsible Communication Style Guide
Swift Playgrounds
“If you have no previous coding experience, Swift Playgrounds, an educational app from Apple, is the perfect way to learn the basics while solving puzzles in a graphical environment. Swift isn’t the most useful language outside the Apple ecosystem, so if you already have a grasp of the basics, try taking a JavaScript course on Code School.” – Vik Patel, Future Hosting
Treehouse
“Treehouse is a fantastic site full of high-quality video tutorials. Its library has grown significantly to include all things related to coding, and it now offers tutorials on web design as well.” – Ben Lang, Spoke
Visual Studio Code
“Visual Studio Code is a programmer’s text editor from Microsoft. It’s free and has features for both experienced developers and learners. VSC is particularly strong as a JavaScript development environment, with helpful features like IntelliSense for highlighting and smart completion, built-in Git support, and integrated debugging. You can code in any editor, but VSC is one of the most helpful.” – Justin Blanchard, ServerMania Inc.
WPBeginner
“I think a lot of people dive into coding only to get discouraged because they’re not building things quickly enough. If you start by creating a WordPress site, you can use free guides and tutorials on WPBeginner to get started. Once you’ve built a couple of websites, try to build a plugin and go from there.” – Syed Balkhi, OptinMonster
YouTube
“There are many YouTube videos, all of them free, that walk you through the basics of coding. There is nothing more important in learning than getting your hands on it. Watch the videos and go step by step to build your first HTML site, then go onward from there.” – Andy Karuza, FenSens
Coursera
Coursera is one of the best places to learn to code for free, with its professional and versatile course options. The site is a large online course library where classes are taught by real university professors. All courses are free of charge, but you have the option to pay for a “Coursera Verified Certificate” (prices range between $30-$100) to prove course completion. Sometimes paying for a certificate also grants access to content not available in the free versions. Coursera also offers “Specializations,” which are collections of courses on a specific topic, typically with a capstone project at the end.
What free coding courses they offer: Many (far beyond your basic coding/computer science topics)
Conclusion
Learning to code is an exciting, exhilarating time to be alive. But finding the right tech tool can be daunting. There are so many tech tools for coding for beginners cluttering up the tech space that it can be hard to find the perfect tool for you .