It is never too early to start coding — it is an essential life skill that can be picked up with the proper resources and guidance!

Meet David, a young and budding coder currently 10 years old in 2024, who loves exploring what he can do and create with coding! Despite being one of the youngest participants in the International Coding Showcase 2022 at 7 years old, David’s solid foundation in coding propelled him to achieve remarkable feats, earning a Distinction and Judges’ Choice (Best Presentation) Award! 

David’s journey began when he was just in Primary 1! Inspired by his older brother who is also a skilled coder, David attended a Scratch coding course with us. An enthusiastic learner, he is always looking for learning opportunities, such as by participating in ICS 2022! Let’s learn more about David’s coding journey, from key milestones to his goals for the future!

Hi David! Tell us about yourself. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

My hobbies are reading and playing the piano. During my computer time when I am allowed to use the computer, I enjoy coding and coming up with new projects! 

What do your family and friends say when they hear that you code?

My younger brother is very interested in my coding projects because he thinks that my coding sprites are very cute. Because he does not have much experience with coding, he often says that my code is very complicated, so I try my best to explain the concepts in simple terms for him to understand. My mother says that I am capable and praises me for my persistence in completing coding projects. 

What do you like about coding? How has coding positively impacted your life? 

I enjoy the trial and error process of debugging. Although it can get frustrating at times, I feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally get it right! Debugging makes me feel very proud of myself and motivates me to continue learning more. I also like that coding teaches me more about Mathematical concepts. This improves my thinking abilities and allows me to create projects like websites and games!

What are some difficulties you faced while learning to code? How did you overcome them? 

When working on my coding projects, I sometimes feel like I have an idea, but I am not really sure about the specific details to go about creating my project. I will experiment and try out what is the best way to code my project. When I am stuck, I take a break and look for new ways to solve the problem!

What was the inspiration for your ICS coding project? 

I love Science, so I wanted to create a project related to my favourite subject! My project is both fun and helpful, as it allows my friends to learn about the life cycle of a plant through a game! I chose to use a dandelion because I love blowing off its seeds! 

What is your biggest takeaway from your ICS participation?

Getting the chance to code with purpose! For this project, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to create and why. Rather than creating games like I usually like to do in class, I put more thought into planning my project. This made me feel that coding is a very meaningful skill!

What is your favourite thing about Coding Lab? 

I like that the teachers are very patient and guide me through class to learn how to code different things every week. We have a lot of opportunities to create our own projects in class, such as during Hackathons where we can come up with any project we want! I enjoy making games and playing them with my friends in class.

How do you plan to continue developing your coding skills? What are your future coding aspirations? 

At the end of 2023, I am taking part in the 2023 Minecraft Cup. As part of the competition theme, I am excited to build eco-friendly buildings and automatic farms. I am hopeful that my team will win an award with our hard work and effort! I am also attending a course on Python Junior at Coding Lab, and with my newly gained skills, I am excited to start on new projects!

Editor’s note: We are proud to share that our Coding Lab Coder Mobs team (Ages 7-9) including David has won the Inspirational Award for Minecraft Cup 2023!

Share with us about an ongoing or upcoming project you are working on!

Inspired by my brother, Jacob, I want to work on an HTML website that sheds light on crises around the world, like the Russia-Ukraine War. I hope to be able to do something for them and raise awareness of their situation, as I believe this is something meaningful that I can do for others.

Any words of advice for beginner coders? 

I want to encourage all coders not to limit themselves and their imagination. Try to think more than you can think. Dare to believe that you can!

Despite his young age, David has already built a strong foundation and nurtured a deep passion for coding. At Coding Lab, our students have ample opportunities to integrate what they learn in school with coding, such as Math and Science concepts, enhancing and enriching their overall learning experience. 

As he continues to learn and master various programming languages, we have full confidence in David’s enthusiasm for learning and ability to create meaningful coding projects! We hope that David’s experiences have motivated you to give your child a headstart in coding and discover their hidden potential!

At Coding Lab, we encourage our students to apply their coding skills and give back to society in their own ways. With coding, our students can do so much, from working on websites with a focus on raising awareness to creating fun, educational learning resources! We hope that Jacob’s journey has inspired you to take your first steps towards coding so that YOU can also make a difference! 

Our #CodingLabStudents blogs feature our ambitious students and their ongoing coding journeys – be it the budding coder or advanced Python Pro, we appreciate each and every single one’s efforts as they progress to greater heights. 🌱

Coding Lab offers an award-winning curriculum specially for ages 5 to 18 – check out our courses to begin your own coding journey today!

Read Next: Coding Lab Student Feature: Jacob Xu, 13, NUS High School, HCIC 2023 Gold Award Winner

Read Next: Coding Lab Student Feature: Isaac Khong, 11, and Alicia Khong, 9, Radin Mas Primary School

(Written by Thinzar)