The school year is starting up this week, and we're helping you with questions you may have about what your kids are going to be learning in school — and that's where the new series Parent Portal comes in to fill in the blanks.

With kids growing up on computers, many school districts and area groups are looking to educate kids on computer coding. But there are also websites where you can help your child grow in learning code (as you maybe learn it too). Here are a few resources that I use at home. I only like free sites or apps, so I will do my best to always send you to free spots as well!

Code.org: This site got my family started on code and is user friendly from ages 4 and up. They also use characters that your kids will know and love.

CS First: Google's coding platform for kids to learn. Rich with classroom curriculum that you can try at home as well. Free. 

Code Combat: Best for older kids, Code Combat uses an interactive, competitive gameplay mode to stimulate learning. Kids can be online, playing in seconds; advanced skills do come with a cost. Free.

Code Monster: Good for kids, Code Monster features two adjacent boxes. One displays code, the other shows what the code does. As you play with the code (with some help from a prompt), you learn what each command does. Free.

Khan Academy: Known for its extensive and challenging math games, Khan Academy also has basic programming tutorials that teach kids how to build graphics, animations, interactive visualizations, and more. Free.

Scratch: Designed by MIT students and aimed at children ages 8 to 16, this easy-to-use programming language lets kids build almost anything they can dream. There are no obscure lines of code here. Instead, arrange and snap together Scratch blocks as if they were virtual Legos. But it's more than just a coding guide, it's a vibrant online community of programmers who swap ideas and inspiration. Free.

Stencyl: Inspired by Scratch's snapping blocks system, this software allows users to create simple games for iOS, Android, Flash, Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.