If you think coding proficiency can only be achieved by learning a difficult programming language that is gibberish to understand, you might want to redefine your statement. It is a misconception that only if you are good with technology, can you practice programming and be a successful coder. Nowadays, even if you are raw at STEAM subjects which are quite in demand in schools across UAE, you can take it upon yourself to start your coding journey. Basically, there is no age bar, no special educational background, or any super skill, that you need to possess in order to develop coding skills.

Having said that, coding is now becoming a compulsory subject in schools, especially across Dubai and other advanced Middle East regions. Here are a few advantages that parents need to know, to strengthen their resolve about encouraging young learners to be committed to their efforts of learning to code in school and after-class programs.

• The world is becoming digitalized, and most employment opportunities are revolved around those who have some experience in programming skills
• New inventions and innovations are possible with the advent of coding
• Robotics and Artificial Intelligence are the talk of the town, making our lives easier
• Coding inculcates problem-solving abilities
• It encourages creativity
• Coding improves computational thinking
• It is one of the highest paying professions and much in demand

Hobbies that improve coding skills

You must be wondering what coding has to do with pursuing a hobby? Can participating in a hobby improve some coding skills? Read on to find out;

Blogging

One cannot be a successful blogger just by being a geek and sitting behind the computer screen. Building an app requires designing, graphics, curating content, and presenting the back-end and front-end elements in an orderly manner. Practicing blogging as a hobby is universal and also popular in GCC regions, and it opens up a plethora of opportunities for budding coders to explore topics, research the latest trends, and share information with a community of like-minded members. Knowing what’s being discussed on the internet and what the preferences are of digitally savvy audiences, helps in gaining some direction in which you can prepare your app or software program.

Playing Video Games

Spending too much time on video games often gets kids into trouble, but not anymore! Playing video games for an hour or two and defeating a battalion of warships, does have its own advantages. Firstly, the challenging levels and complexity of gameplay keeps your mind agile. Secondly, it develops a practice of quick thinking where you have to devise a strategy to be able to make smart moves. Lastly, teamwork is important if you are playing a multi-player game and coordination is key to winning big. All these skills come in handy while strategizing a coding platform that is unique and makes pathbreaking waves in the industry. Lead your child into his coding journey by subscribing to the Code Monkey platform. CodeMonkey is an award-winning tool that teaches kids of ages 4 years to 14 years from Dubai and other Middle East Regions, real-world coding languages such as; Python and CoffeeScript.

Art

Needling, painting, mandala art, and doodling, require a lot of concentration and creativity. Similarly, a programmer needs to think out of the box and go beyond the ordinary. The ability to understand the problem and create a valuable application that provides a solution to the existing problem is like art in itself. Devising a solution that has never been dealt with before needs a fresh outlook and going back to your drawing board can offer a refreshing perspective to help the coder be a better programmer.

Cooking

What similarities does cooking have with coding? Well, just as a chef would follow the recipe step-by-step, coding is a practice that requires following step-by-step procedures. The ingredients for a smart coder are to put together all layers which include; analyzing the problem, designing an algorithm, preparing a flow chart, coding, debugging, testing, and finally running the code. Every step is vital to the conceptualization of a software or app, and nothing should go amiss, just like a chef can’t manage to miss out on any ingredient.

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