COTF / MAT / 01
Mental maths
Number sense, not tricks.
Open the syllabusThree starting points
A coding course, a maths course, or both at once
Pick the one that matches what your child needs most right now.
Australia · Ages 6 to 12 and beyond · Where to start
Parents often ask us which comes first: a coding class, because their child loves games and screens, or a maths tutor, because school reports mention numeracy. It is a fair question, and the answer depends on the child. This page sets out the signs that point each way, shows how the Australian Curriculum already asks primary children to write and follow algorithms in maths, and walks through a growing-pattern task that is half maths and half code, which is often where the answer lies.
Coding and maths taught live since 2020 · 10,000+ students · one teacher can cover both
In short
Start with a maths tutor if gaps in number basics, such as place value or times tables, are holding your child back in class; start with coding if maths is fine and your child is keen on games and making things. Often the two go together: the Australian Curriculum already asks children in Years 3 to 6 to follow and create algorithms that generate number patterns, which is coding thinking inside maths.
Three starting points
Pick the one that matches what your child needs most right now.
Reading the signs
There is no rule that one must come first. These are the patterns we look for in the free first lesson.
| What you notice | Points towards | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Struggles with times tables or place value in Years 3 to 5 | Maths first | Coding uses these constantly, and gaps make coding frustrating |
| Avoids maths homework but builds things for hours | Coding first, with maths woven in | Motivation is the way in; maths can ride along |
| Fine at maths, bored in class | Coding first | A new kind of problem to solve, at their level |
| Teacher reports "careless errors" | Maths first, with diagnosis | Careless errors are often one misunderstood idea |
| Loves puzzles and patterns | Both together | Patterns are where maths and code meet |
| Anxious about maths | Coding first, or a gentle maths tutor | Success elsewhere can rebuild confidence |
If a child cannot yet multiply single digits quickly, even a simple game becomes hard: scoring, movement and timing all use multiplication and number sense.
The Australian Tutoring Association notes that "Tutoring may be appropriate for students who have particular difficulties or those that are intellectually advanced." A clear gap in number basics is exactly that kind of difficulty.
If maths is broadly fine, coding offers a new kind of challenge, and many children discover that they enjoy logic and patterns once they meet them in a game.
Coding also gives maths a reason. A child who needs to work out how far a sprite moves each second suddenly cares about multiplication.
Quoted from the Australian Tutoring Association page on starting tutoring, checked on 7 October 2026.
Curriculum links
Many parents are surprised to learn that "algorithm" is a maths word in the Australian Curriculum, not only a Digital Technologies one. These maths content descriptions are quoted exactly.
| Year | Code | Content description (quoted) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | AC9M3N07 | follow and create algorithms involving a sequence of steps and decisions to investigate numbers; describe any emerging patterns |
| Year 4 | AC9M4N09 | follow and create algorithms involving a sequence of steps and decisions that use addition or multiplication to generate sets of numbers; identify and describe any emerging patterns |
| Year 6 | AC9M6A01 | recognise and use rules that generate visually growing patterns and number patterns involving rational numbers |
| Year 6 | AC9M6A03 | create and use algorithms involving a sequence of steps and decisions that use rules to generate sets of numbers; identify, interpret and explain emerging patterns |
From Year 3, children are expected to follow and create step-by-step procedures in maths. That is the core of programming, written in maths language.
In secondary school the idea continues: the Year 7 maths curriculum asks students to "design and create algorithms involving a sequence of steps and decisions that will sort and classify sets of shapes according to their attributes, and describe how the algorithms work".
A good coding class practises the algorithm and pattern skills the maths curriculum names, and a good maths tutor can use simple code to explore patterns.
The real question is which need is more urgent: closing a number gap, or building confidence and interest through making things.
Sources, read 7 October 2026: ACARA, Australian Curriculum v9 Mathematics F to 6 content and Mathematics 7 to 10 content.
A task for both
Here is a pattern task in the spirit of AC9M6A01 that works as a maths lesson and a coding lesson at once.
| Beds in the row (n) | Border tiles | Change from the last |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | start |
| 2 | 10 | +2 |
| 3 | 12 | +2 |
| 4 | 14 | +2 |
| 5 | 16 | +2 |
| 100 | 206 tiles | by formula |
The term-to-term rule says: start at 8 and add 2 each time. It is easy to see, but reaching the 100th row of beds takes 99 additions.
The explicit formula links the number of beds directly to the tiles: tiles = 2n + 6. One bed: 2 + 6 = 8. A hundred beds: 200 + 6 = 206 tiles, in one multiplication and one addition.
Each bed adds a tile above it and a tile below it, which is the 2n. The two ends each need three more tiles to close the border, which is the 6.
Working backwards answers a different question: with 100 tiles, 2n + 6 = 100 gives n = 47, so 100 tiles border a row of 47 beds.
In Python, the term-to-term rule is a loop and the explicit formula is one line, and children can check that both agree for every n up to 100:tiles = 8for n in range(2, 101): tiles = tiles + 2print(tiles, 2 * 100 + 6)
Both print 206. Seeing the loop do 99 steps while the formula does one is a child's first taste of why mathematicians look for explicit formulas, and why programmers care about how much work a program does.
This single task covers the Year 6 pattern description and the coding idea of a loop. That is why our Maths through Coding course exists: for children who need maths practice but come alive when they build something.
Three plans
Families usually settle on one of these after the first lesson.
| Plan | What a week looks like | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Maths first | Two maths lessons a week on the specific gap, then coding once it closes | Children with a clear number gap |
| Coding first | Two coding lessons a week, with maths ideas built into projects | Children fine at maths, keen to make things |
| Combined | One maths lesson and one coding lesson, or a combined course | Children who need both and enjoy patterns |
| Maths through coding | Maths topics explored and checked in Python or Scratch | Children who resist worksheets but love screens |
A specific gap, such as times tables or fractions, often closes within one or two terms of focused work. After that, coding can join or replace the maths lessons.
We tell families plainly when a gap is closed, so nobody pays for maths help that is no longer needed.
Some families keep one maths and one coding lesson a week for years, especially through the upper primary and early secondary years.
The same teacher can often teach both, which keeps the links between them visible.
Choosing the maths format is a separate question; our guide to a maths tutor versus a tutoring centre covers it. For the coding side, see online coding classes for kids in Australia.
By age
The right first step depends a lot on where a child is at school.
| Stage | Usual advice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation to Year 2 | Playful maths first, unplugged coding alongside | Counting and number sense come before screens |
| Years 3 to 4 | Either, guided by times tables | Multiplication fluency unlocks both |
| Years 5 to 6 | Often both | Fractions, patterns and algorithms all appear in maths |
| Years 7 to 10 | Depends on goals | Algebra gaps first; otherwise coding for interest |
| Years 11 to 12 | Follow the subject choices | Senior maths and computing subjects set the priorities |
Stages
What we see when children learn maths and coding side by side.
| Stage | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 1. Close the gap | Number basics secured, so coding is not blocked |
| 2. Patterns in code | Loops generate the patterns maths lessons describe |
| 3. Formulas | Children replace loops with formulas and check they agree |
| 4. Own projects | Games and tools that use the maths they know |
Times tables, place value and patterns come first, then appear inside Scratch games.
Parents see maths confidence grow through things the child builds.
Algebra, functions and statistics connect naturally to Python.
Students who enjoy both often lean towards computing and maths subjects later.
The catalogue
Every course is taught live, in small groups or one to one.
COTF / MAT / 01
Number sense, not tricks.
Open the syllabusCOTF / MAT / 02
The full primary journey.
Open the syllabusCOTF / MAT / 03
Fractions to early algebra.
Open the syllabusCOTF / COD / 01
Games and animations.
Open the syllabusCOTF / COD / 02
From blocks to typed Python.
Open the syllabusCOTF / COD / 03
Logic before syntax.
Open the syllabusCOTF / BTH / 01
Maths explored in code.
Open the syllabusCOTF / BTH / 02
Data, chance and code.
Open the syllabusCOTF / BTH / 03
For keen problem solvers.
Open the syllabusHow lessons run
Lessons are planned around the learner, whichever subject comes first.
After school
Weekday afternoons in your state.
Evenings
For older learners.
Weekends
Saturday and Sunday slots.
A short check shows where to begin.
Week after week.
Patterns checked by programs.
Games that use real numbers.
No travel, any state.
We say when a gap is closed.
Student work
Projects from learners combining maths and coding. More on the student labs page.
AI and ML
An AI nutrition coach that reads what you eat and works you toward a target.
AI and ML
A chatbot that answers mathematics and programming questions, built and deployed by a student.
AI and ML
An assistant that helps a young person recognise unsafe situations online.
Web app
A weather forecasting site with live conditions for any location.
Fees
Coding and maths lessons outside India are billed monthly in US dollars at one rate for every country. You can switch between subjects as needs change, with no joining fee and no term contract.
Free first class
USD 0
no card required
Group batch
USD 100
a month, billed in US dollars
One to one
USD 150
a month, billed in US dollars
What families say
Reviews from families on Google, reproduced unchanged.
★★★★★
"The one step solution for my son. Modern Age Coders make learning coding so simple that kids love it. The teachers explain complex concepts clearly with practical exercises and interactive content."
Ria Mukherjee
Parent
★★★★★
"Modern Age Coders has been a game-changer for me. I struggled to grasp IT concepts and coding before joining, but their classes transformed everything. I can now confidently write complex programs with ease."
Samriddha Mondal
Student
★★★★★
"One of the most wonderful education centres out there. Education is not limited to school syllabus but focuses on skill development."
Vansh Agarwal
Student
★★★★★
"My child Dhairya is really enjoying the Modern Age Coders classes. This is his first online class and he eagerly looks forward to it. I can already see his improvement, and the teachers are very cooperative."
Sonam Oswal
Parent of Dhairya
★★★★★
"Modern Age Coders have wonderful teachers who teach in a clear, easy and practical way. The teacher boosts students' confidence and inspires them to learn without hesitation."
Sonu Goyal
Parent
★★★★★
"I highly recommend this computer coding class! The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about coding."
Ritu Kedia
Parent
Questions from families
Start with maths if number basics are holding your child back in class; start with coding if maths is broadly fine and your child is keen to make things. Many children benefit from both together.
A term-to-term rule describes how to get from one term of a pattern to the next, such as add 2 each time. It is easy to follow but slow for finding a term far along the pattern.
An explicit formula gives any term of a pattern directly from its position, such as tiles = 2n + 6. It finds the 100th term in one step instead of 99 additions.
Yes. For example, AC9M3N07 asks Year 3 students to follow and create algorithms to investigate numbers, and AC9M6A03 asks Year 6 students to create and use algorithms that use rules to generate sets of numbers.
Not to start. Early coding uses counting, simple arithmetic and patterns. Gaps in times tables or place value can make it frustrating, which is when maths help first makes sense.
Often. Coding gives maths a purpose, and writing a program that generates a pattern is a direct way to practise the algorithm and pattern skills the maths curriculum names.
Yes. We teach both, and the same teacher can often cover both for a child, which keeps the connections visible.
A course that explores maths topics, such as patterns, fractions and statistics, by building and checking them in code.
A specific gap often closes within one or two terms of focused work. We tell families when it is closed so they can move on.
Nothing for the first lesson. After it, coding or maths is paid month by month, never by the term, and there is no joining fee; see the fees section.
Elsewhere on this site
More for Australian families planning coding and maths.
Every Australian guide in one place.
Maths help for every year level.
Choosing the maths format.
Scratch, Python and more.
How the numeracy test works.
What happens in a live lesson.
Start here
Tell us the year level, how maths is going and what your child enjoys. The teacher runs a short check and recommends coding, maths or both, honestly.
Reading first? See how lessons are taught or the course list.
WhatsApp us · +91 91233 66161 · connect@modernagecoders.com
WhatsApp is the quickest way to reach us from Australia; we answer from India on a +91 number, and every lesson is online because we keep no office in Australia.
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