Simply Coding REVIEW

 Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I can only say WOW!  I keep wanting my son to like coding for a good skill set for his future.  He LOVES video games and it just seems like a good fit.  When given the chance once again to receive a coding program I jumped on it.  I received a free Coding for Kids Annual Membership from Simply Coding and I am simply amazed.  I did not realize just how much we were going to receive with this membership. There is so much to cover and tell you about I hope I can do it some justice.  There are options for single or family use if you choose to purchase a membership.  It is designed for use by 11-18 year olds but based on what I see a mature 8 year old could easily begin and there is plenty to keep an adult occupied and learning!!

Coding lessons with future lessons grayed out

This is an online program that requires internet access and a decent laptop or computer to work on.  You will also be required to download additional programs (for free and paid) in order to complete certain modules.  Within the coding section, there does not appear to be any paid programs necessary.  We were able to use the text editor and download images for free from a suggested website.

There are a LOT of lessons within the tabs to choose from!

Did I say there was a LOT you get with this homeschool coding program? There are 4 sections (tabs) to choose from.  Each tab has a large assortment of programs to learn.  Some lessons are not available until you complete prerequisites first.  Most lessons have a syllabus to help summarize what you will learn and help keep you on track.  You also have the option to upload files for grading if you choose to use it for school credit.  You can see from the graphics above what is covered within the different sections (tabs).

Sample of part of the syllabus on websites

My son is really into fabricating homemade knives.  He's actually quite good at it. It seemed to make the best sense to start with building a website.  It is a work in progress and it has been a great learning experience.  I'm looking forward to the completed project, or at least what would be considered completed.  I understand that you will often update your website, but I can't wait for the finished product once this module is completed.  Progress has been slow, but it's getting done!

Lesson 1 code

Lesson 1 visual result (pretty cool!)

The lessons are simple and straight forward.  They are broken down into simple, bite-sized, pieces.  I REALLY like that there is a video component that basically walks you through the lesson step by step (generally about 3 minutes or so long).  This is such a tremendous help for my son. There are also HINTS within each lesson that actually shows you the code if you don't understand or can't figure it out.  There are quizzes throughout to help keep your student on task and measure their retention. They are simple 5 question quizzes that are automatically graded as you complete them.

Lesson samples showing lesson text and also video component

There is a Parent Dashboard where you can manage your personal information, subscription, passwords, and see your student's progress.  Another really nice feature is the Live Teacher Sessions.  We have not participated in any of the live sessions, but they are archived and available for viewing at any time.  They are wonderful!!  They show you how to code additional projects and even give you the code to copy for your own.  You can then use the code to play the game or edit it to customize it to your own liking.  If you need help or have questions there is an active online help chat available.  There is even a link to a Game Design Challenge that your student can enter if they meet the qualifications!!

Parent Dashboard

The following are samples from the website project.  There is much to do, but progress is being made and a lot is being learned.  It is so exciting to see the progress and the "aha" moments.

The coding and the resulting website

Next up will be learning how to code trivia questions

This has been a great learning experience and I am so glad we decided to try it.  I highly recommend this homeschool coding program to anyone interested in coding or just wanting to be a little more tech-savvy.  I think even my son was a little surprised at the ease of use and the wide variety of programs to choose from.  We give the Coding for Kids Annual Membership two thumbs up.  You can connect with Simply Coding on FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE.  Be sure to see what my fellow Crew Members think by clicking on the graphic link below.

Digital Savvy REVIEW

I was so excited to have the chance to review Digital Savvy by CompuScholar, Inc. (previously known as Homeschool Programming).  Anyone who knows me knows how much I love computers and all things computer.  I really think that my 7th grader would love to learn some programming and this was the perfect chance to begin that process. Digital Savvy is recommended for grades 6-12.  Prerequisites to the program require minimal computer skills to include mouse, keyboard, and basic web browsing abilities.  It is available on Mac (OS version 10.7 or higher) or Windows (7, 8 or 10).



Digital Savvy is a general broad level course that introduces the student to the basics of the computer and some basic HTML programming and scratch. There area several options for this program.  There is a student led or teacher led option.  The student led option still comes with a parent account that includes lesson plans and answer keys. The teacher led option is completely hands off to you.  With the teacher led option, the company provides all monitoring of your student and grading. The program is available as a one-year or monthly subscription. There is a reduced price for additional students in the home.

There are 25 chapters that include a final project using the skills the student has learned. Topics include:

• Fundamentals of Computer Hardware and Software
• Operating Systems, Computer Files, Maintenance & Troubleshooting
• Networks, Search Engines, and Security
• Word Processing Programs
• Spread Sheet Programs
• Presentation Programs
• Database Technology
• Project Management and Teamwork
• Digital Images, Internet Communications, and Social Media
• Creating Web Pages, Web Page Design, Web Links, Images and Animation
• Programming Concepts and Digital Logic
• Careers and Professional Skills

Once your student logs in they will come to their homepage screen that has any and all of their purchased courses.  Once the course is selected they will see the listing of all their chapters (the course syllabus is in the first chapter).

Student Lesson Screen

Your student can easily review their grades as they progress.

The lessons consist of a short lesson video, lesson text that reinforces what was covered in the video, and a short lesson quiz.

There are also activities and chapter exams.  You can generally cover a chapter per week and the course is designed to be covered over one year (two semesters).  The final project at the end is designed to take approximately 2-3 weeks for the student(s) to complete.

The teacher account included with the student led option includes lesson plans and answer keys to the quizzes and tests.

Teacher Lesson Plans

The Teacher Menu on the teacher account has some extra options in the menu that include viewing the grade book, editing your profile, changing your password, reporting issues, getting help and managing logins.

My 7th grade son has been able to keep up with the pace of one chapter per week pretty well.  Chapters take 5 to 11 days to complete with most just being 5 days.  We just had a few sick days but he got right back on track and is enjoying the lessons.  They are short enough to keep his attention and I know that once he gets into the more in depth subjects that he is going to like it even more. I looked ahead and checked out the future lessons and they look to be pretty simple but do a good job of introducing the student to simple HTML programming and scratch.  The introduction to computer programs and social media is also nice.  He should have a good basis to build from once he completes the course.  It should set him up pretty good to be able to tackle the more in depth programming modules CompuScholar Inc. currently has to offer. What's even more exciting is that they have plans to continue to expand their course options.

We give Digital Savvy by CompuScholar Inc. two thumbs up!  The only thing to be aware of is that, just as the company states, if you have absolutely no computer knowledge and are generally afraid of computers this is not the place to start.  They do expect that you are familiar with a computer, keyboard, and mouse.  If you have just a few simple basic skills, you will find this program to be extremely helpful in furthering your computer skills and knowledge.  We will definitely be continuing on with this course to completion and look forward to choosing the next subject of theirs to work on, Be sure to check out the other reviews from the Homeschool Review Crew through the link below.  The two other programs reviewed were WEB DESIGN (grades 6-12) and JAVA PROGRAMMING (grades 9-12).
You can connect with CompuScholar, Inc. through the following media links:
Homeschool Programming: Facebook  or Twitter @hsprogramming
CompuScholar, Inc.: Facebook   or   Twitter   @compuscholar