Meet MICHELLE SUN – Founder at First Code & Best Selling Author of First Time Coders

“Our modern world relies heavily on coding and programming. Having kids learn coding at a young age prepares them for the future.”

Hey, hey, hey listeners!

Welcome to this brand NEW edition of the Reading with Your Kids podcast! Our guest today is Michelle Sun, the author of the book, First Time Coders. Michelle has been featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 List and is one of the BBC’s 100 Influential Women. Michelle is a visiting instructor at the MIT Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Lab and the founder and CEO of First Code Academy, a coding and STEM education institute for children aged 4 to 18.

In First Time Coders, Michelle provides a manual for parents and kids who are interested in learning how to code. Best of all, this book is a valuable resource for parents who don’t know how to code themselves, and it contains age-appropriate exercises for kids all the way from four through 18.

Tune in and start your child’s coding adventure with First Time Coders!

First Time Coders: A Definitive Guide to Coding for Children

Computer programming may well be tomorrow’s “new literacy.” Coding offers children a creative avenue to express themselves through technology and opens the door to unlimited opportunities in the digital era.

First Time Coders, written by an MIT Master Trainer for coding education and award-winning founder of a STEM and coding education institute, is the essential handbook for parents whose kids are starting their coding journey, or are already coding and eager to learn more. You will find:
● Advice and solutions to common challenges about youth tech usage.
● Essential principles when learning to code.
● Introduction of 15+ age-appropriate coding languages and tools for children aged 4 to 18.
● 20+ step-by-step hands-on coding projects followed by challenges.
● Computer science concepts for each project.
● Tips for adults to discuss these concepts in-depth.

Grab your copy of First Time Coders on Amazon!

Learn more about Michelle Sun

Michelle is the co-founder of First Code Academy (www.firstcodeacademy.com), a K12 STEM education startup that teaches coding to kids from 6 years and above with hands-on workshops, camps, and regular programs.

Prior to starting First Code, she held various technical roles in high growth startups in Silicon Valley, including as the first growth hacker at Buffer and Bump Technologies (acquired by Google in 2013). She graduated from the University of Chicago and began her career at Goldman Sachs as an equity analyst.

In addition to running First Code, Michelle is a visiting instructor at Computer Science Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Interview Talking Points & Questions:

• What are we going to learn from “First Time Coders”? (03:00)
• What does coding do for kids? Why Is Coding Important For Kids To Learn?
• It’s important not only to put limits on how much screen time a kid can have but it is crucial to teach how to regulate that themselves? (7:55) 
• How did you get into teaching coding to kids?
• What do you hope that readers will gain from your book?
• Where online can people find you?

A big Thank You to Michelle Sun for joining us! Glad you all could join us for today’s guest interview! We hope you’ve enjoyed this interview and we look forward to introducing you to some great guests in our next episode.

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Thanks for tuning in and have a great day!