Live Online Coding Classes, Grades 5 to 12
Online Coding Classes
for Grades 5 to 12:
Python and Java
Avatar Learning Center teaches coding live online. Python is for grade 5 and up, and Java for grade 7 and up.
Each course runs 8 weeks. Classes meet once a week for 1.5 hours, in small groups of 5 to 6 students and never more than 8.
Python and Java Courses by Grade
Python
Python is widely used in data science and AI. Students learn it by writing their own programs.
Java
Students build apps with Java through hands-on projects.
Not sure which course fits? A free assessment helps you choose between Python and Java.
Learn at your own pace
Python Self-Paced
Not ready for a scheduled class? The Python curriculum runs in the browser, with code your child edits and runs on every lesson. Beginner Python is free with a free account, and lesson 1 is open to everyone. The subscription, $29 a month, opens Intermediate Python and Python4Physics; start with either, each lesson opening as you finish the one before. The plan renews automatically, and you can turn that off any time in the student portal.
- Start free: all of Beginner Python with a free account
- Subscribe, $29 a month: Intermediate Python and Python4Physics, start with either
- Everything runs in the browser, nothing to install
- Progress and the courses in the student portal
What Children Gain from Learning to Code
Digital
Skills
Children learn to write code, not only to use software. Each course teaches the basics step by step.
Logical
Thinking
Coding teaches children to break a problem into steps, test an idea and fix mistakes. These habits help in every school subject.
Links to
Math and Logic
Coding connects to math and logic. Students use both when they plan a program and test that it works.
Useful
Career Skills
Programming is used in many careers, and Python and Java are among the most widely used languages. Starting early gives a child more time to practice.
Confidence
with Technology
Making their own programs run builds a child's confidence with technology. Classes are live online, so children learn from home.
Creativity
and Projects
Children turn their own ideas into working programs in Python or Java.
Why Children Learn
to Code with Avatar
In Python a student's first program greets them by name; eight weeks later they present a game they designed, having learned variables, decisions, loops, lists and functions by building something each week. In Java they go on to types, methods and the first objects, the ground that AP Computer Science A is built on.
Every class is live online with 5 to 6 students, never more than 8, and the teacher reviews each student's code. Avatar Learning Center was founded in 2020 by four women scientists who hold PhDs.
Inside Every Course
What Is Included
in Every Coding Course
Lessons for Your Child's Level
Each course is built for its language and grade band, so lessons fit what children in that grade can do.
Advanced Challenges
Students who want more can take on harder problems that call for critical thinking and creativity.
Initial Assessment
A free assessment at the start covers your child's interests, goals and current skills.
Small Group Classes
Small groups let the instructor follow each child's work, and your child learns alongside a few other young coders.
Real-World Projects
Hands-on projects show how coding is used in the real world, beyond what a textbook covers.
A class, step by step
What Happens in a Coding Class
Every student has their own copy of the lesson code. The class is built around trying things on it.
The teacher explains the new topic
Live online. Every student has their own copy of the lesson code, open on their own screen. They follow the teacher's walkthrough on their copy, not a screen share, so they can pause, scroll and read ahead.
The teacher demos sample snippets
Students run the same snippets on their own copy and change them to see what happens. Breaking code and fixing it is the fastest way to understand it.
Students try exercises in class
Each student gets exercises to solve during the class on their own copy, with the teacher watching the work and helping where it sticks.
Homework before the next class
A homework assignment in the student portal, worked on before the next class meets. The next class opens by going over it.
Did you know?
Python and Java
in the Real World
Python is one of Google's official programming languages.
Java is widely used to build apps and large software systems.
Avatar Coding FAQs
Questions Parents Ask About Coding Classes
What programming languages will my child learn?
Avatar teaches two languages: Python and Java. Each is its own 8-week course.
Python is a good first language and is widely used in data science and AI. Java is the language behind many apps and is a strong step toward computer science in high school.
What makes Avatar's coding classes different?
Avatar's coding classes are live online and small, and instructors review each student's code. Classes are live online, interactive and engaging, in a small group of 5 to 6 students, never more than 8, so every child takes part.
Students work on hands-on projects and harder challenges, and parents follow progress in the parent portal.
What grades are the coding classes for?
Python is for grade 5 and up, and Java for grade 7 and up.
Beginners and students with some coding experience are both welcome. A free assessment helps decide where to start.
How long is a coding course, and when does it meet?
Each course is 8 weeks, with one live 1.5-hour class a week online. Class times are Eastern Time.
How do I enroll my child in an Avatar coding course?
Choose a course on our enrollment page and follow the sign-up steps. If you are not sure which course fits, book a free assessment. An instructor will explain the courses and help you choose between Python and Java.
Find the Right Level for Your Child
Take the free placement assessment. We recommend a course and one of three levels, and a child can move up during the year.