Our team had the opportunity to catch up with our cute student, Jun Min, and his mum over the weekend. An avid coder whose top hobby is also coding (no surprises there!), Jun Min started coding with us when he was barely 7, and has since progressed from being a #Scratcher to coding in Python. This talented little boy is now almost 9 - he shares with us more on his journey in coding and how he applies his talent in coding to his daily activities.Q: Hi Jun Min! Why do you like coding so much?Jun Min:  Coding is so interesting, and very tricky at the same time. I like this because I love challenges. I like being able to see the end result of my own creation/ code. Along the way, I get to edit my code just the way I like it, and do add-ons to make it better. This makes me feel like I have accomplished something all by myself.Jun Min's Mum: We started out just wanting him to try something new and to spend his school holidays productively, so we enrolled him in the Scratch 1 holiday course. But after that, he was so interested that he began to continue Scratch on his own accord! He showed such enthusiasm in learning coding that we decided to continue on to the Gifted Coders program when he was invited.

“Coding is so interesting, and very tricky at the same time. I like this because I love challenges”

Q: How has the experience been for you so far?Jun Min: My experience has been really fun. Being in the Gifted Coders program also brings me to the higher stages of difficulty in coding, so this challenges me even more! My teachers at Coding Lab have been very nice and patient as well. I always look forward to coding class.

"Coding is a fun way for me to practice old and new concepts in Maths and Science."

Q: That's really cool. How do you find the time to code on top of your schoolwork? Do you think what you learn in Coding class has helped you at school?Jun Min: My favourite subjects are Mathematics and Science. Coding involves Maths and Science as well and requires a lot of mathematical skills. So coding is a fun way for me to practice old and new concepts in Maths and Science.Jun Min's Mum: I believe it has helped him express himself better and helped him to foster and develop his creative juices. It has also increased his proficiency in using the computer, which is very useful, as schoolwork involves online work and projects nowadays.

“It has also taught him perseverance, as well as improved his ability to troubleshoot and solve problems on his own.”

Q: Apart from coding, what else do you like to do? What are your hobbies?Jun Min: My hobby is coding! I love creating new games. I also love playing computer games. Other than that, I also enjoy cycling, swimming and drawing, and even designing games on paper. I hope to become a game designer one day.Jun Min's Mum: Coding has increased his confidence in his own abilities, and encouraged him to take pride in his own work. It has also taught him perseverance, as well as improved his ability to troubleshoot and solve problems on his own. He is always excited to ‘present’ his code or new design to us, and it has been really heartening to see him so passionate about something.Q: Share with us something interesting about Jun Min:Jun Min's Mum: Jun Min loves mathematics and started doing mental sums on his own at a very young age. He has come up with a few mathematical equations and taught us as well.Q: Lastly, do you have any advice for other parents out there regarding STEM education?Jun Min's Mum: STEM education is increasingly important and will soon be an intrinsic part of our lives, hence early exposure is useful.Jun Min is a Primary 3 student at Henry Park Primary School. He is currently attending Coding Lab's Gifted Coders weekly programme and was one of the participants at the 2017 Inter-Primary Robotics Competition.