Smartphones. Rice cookers. Computers. Graphing calculators. Self-driving cars. Without a doubt, the results of computer programming are everywhere, ranging from applications like Snapchat on our phones, or the built-in functions on our TI-84 calculators. Coding knowledge allows people to truly harness the power of their electronic devices.

Although we are surrounded by electronics, many people are not comfortable or interested in computer programming due to a lack of education. In school, coding is often not introduced to students until late middle school or early high school and sometimes not at all, cutting short all career prospects in the field. The benefits of learning how to code are boundless. Even the simplest coding skills can allow students to analyze data or create websites. More advanced coders can tackle much more advanced issues, such as machine learning and bioinformatics.

And, of course, knowing how to code can lead to well-paying jobs. According to Rasmussen University, the median annual earning for coding-related jobs in 2016 was $80,000 as opposed to the average $30,000 annual income in all jobs.

Of course, going into a computer science job is not for everyone. Still, coding is helpful in a multitude of other ways, since it causes students to think more algorithmically and helps improve their problem-solving abilities.

Coding is a fundamental skill, and it is extremely important that students start learning how to code earlier. Elementary schools should integrate basic computer programming into their curriculum.

This integration doesn’t have to include complicated algorithmic concepts; even simple and fun applications like Scratch and Terrapin logo can help develop the foundational skill set necessary for more involved programming.

An article from Open Source says that fewer than 30 percent of ninth graders were interested in pursuing a STEM field, and an even smaller fraction were interested in pursuing a computer science related degree. Clearly, students are not encouraged enough in school to learn coding.

Students who begin coding at a younger age would be more likely to understand what coding can achieve and not fear it. Teaching younger kids how to program also affects the way they think and develop. First and foremost, it gives them a basic understanding of how the electronics they use actually work. It also improves a child’s potential for creativity by giving them a resource with which to express themselves. Just as teaching students how to write allows them to express their opinions through essays or bring their characters to life through stories, teaching students how to code allows them to create websites, games and more.

Especially with technology being integrated into classrooms, a smaller investment is required to teach coding. A lot of elementary schools already have computer labs to teach students skills such as typing and finding information on databases. As a result, these computers can simply be co-opted for programming. In the Bay Area, there’s a lot of excitement and publicity surrounding coding. People enjoy throwing around words like machine learning, big data and bioinformatics, while rattling off the languages they know how to program. However, this hype is not unfounded: Coding is impactful in a plethora of ways and everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to use it.