Yesterday, a reader wrote:
My 9 year old son and his 7 year old twin brothers have expressed some interest in learning Morse code. Actually they’re pestering me about it. I don’t know the code nor do I have a clue how to beat teach it. I’ve messed around with Koch method but just haven’t put enough effort into it to master CW. Koch seems like a good technique to learn.
Looking for your guidance on what tools and approach might work for kids.
I’m thinking they might like a code practice oscillator to practice sending and receiving. I have a couple arduinos laying around if there’s an easy kit available. I also don’t mind buying a commercial product (one for each boy) if there’s a good one.
I really don’t know where to start here but I want to encourage them.
I posted this question to the CWOps mailing list and got a bunch of suggestions and offers to help. Here is a summary:
- Give them an iPad and download some Morse Code apps?
- Re: teaching code to youngsters. I did that in 1985 for my two sons ages 9 & 11, and a group of their friends. Along with Morse, they studied the Novice license manual, built a code practice oscillator, and passed the Novice exam in 5 weeks. I’m not sure about the 7-year old twins, but if the desire and ability is there they may succeed also. I wrote an article, “Robbing_the_Cradle” for the August 1986 issue of QST, pp. 46, 47, under my previous call sign, W8LNJ.Key points: have the boys get a small group of friends to work with them, if possible, though 3 may be enough. Building the oscillator taught them some soldering skills. Get another ham or two to help out, depending on the number of students. Good luck to your reader.
- Take a hard look at the Morse Toad app (iPhone, Android). I think it teaches the code by sound – as it should. A quick look showed me that it starts forming words right away with just a few letters learned. It starts the student out on a preset lesson plan path and I don’t believe it allows skipping ahead so it’s simple and structured. The graphics on the program aren’t sophisticated, but who cares? I think it looks like a good app to begin with, or at least a contender.
- Have them try CW_PLAYER to learn the Morse code.
- Sign up for the Youth CW Academy. For the last two years I’ve been teaching Youth CW Academy exclusively. Never had 7 year olds, but I’ve had plenty of 9 year olds. If they sign up for CW Academy they automatically get put in the youth program. Young people are not required to wait if there is a waiting list.
- Here’s a low-tech approach: When I was 10, my buddy and I (he was a little older) would call each other on the landline every evening and simply talk the code (i.e., dit-dah) to each other, timing with a watch, until we were good enough to become WN3WHJ and WN3WHK. No key to train our fists, but that came later.
Please add a comment below if you have any other suggestions.
Rick Barnich says
The ARRL has a kit CPO for $25, but that is a little expensive for 3 kids.
The best Android app for learning cw is IZ2UUF, and the basic version is free. It has Koch and much more.
John says
Following with great interest!
D Jeffrey Blumenthal says
When I was their age a friend and I had at key-buzzer device. A few batteries and some wire connections allowed us to communicate from one room to another. We even considered the idea of string wires between out two houses until we found out the cost. Practice makes perfect. Learn by doing. And, learn by sound not dots and dashes.
Dave New, N8SBE says
Although it seems that receiving code is tantamount, most youngsters (myself) included get a kick out of SENDING code, and challenging their friends to decode what they sent.
I started out with kids’ walky-talkies (this was in the 60’s) that had a push button on the front that sent modulated CW over the CB band (as that’s what those radios ran on those days) to the other radio. Of course, there was a little chart right on the front of the radio, so you could look up the letters.
Sure, it’s not considered the ‘right’ way to learn the code, but the key is to get and keep the kids’ interest in messing around with sending and receiving ‘secret’ messages. It fires up the imagination, like playing ‘spies’.
I guess in summary, it has to seem like play, not work, or else you’ll lose them.