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Are you ready to take your coding skills to the next level? Then this blog post is perfect for you! In this post, we’ll go over 5 things you can do, starting today to improve your coding skills. Since the Coder Kids’ Mission includes teaching kids how to code in fun and practical ways, this list will be geared towards kids learning to code. However, the principles behind each method for improving your coding skills can be applied to anyone, at any age and at any coding level!

Why Coding is Important

Coding is an important skill for kids and adults to learn, or at least become familiar with. Code is involved in pretty much everything we use - phones, computers, tablets, TV’s, apps, etc. Having a basic knowledge of coding is beneficial just so that you can understand what is going on with your gadgets, apps, electronics.

Another reason coding is important is because it teaches you a lot of skills that are helpful in coding, but also in lot of different areas of life:

• Logical Thinking - When you are coding, you are tell the program every single thing that it must do. If you forget to include even just one tiny step, or if you have all the steps, but in the wrong order, it won’t work.. Coding helps you think logically about how to get from A to B, and how to break that down into smaller steps.

• Problem Solving - When you are coding, you will inevitably come across a problem you need to solve. It may be figuring out a bug in your code or figuring out how to code a specific action in a way that works. Whatever the problem is, coding encourages you to think of different solutions and try them out.

• Perseverance - Going along with trying out different solutions to a coding problem you may face is perseverance. Coding teaches you this principle because often times, the solutions we think of don’t work, at least not at first. You have to keep trying over and over again until you find the solution that works best for you.

• Organization and Planning - Being organized and able to plan ahead are skills that are improtant to use in pretty much every aspect of life. Coding helps you develop these skills because in order to code a program, animation, etc., you have to plan all of the steps necessary, as well as organize the steps in a logical order. With out planning and organization, your code won’t work.

Why You Should Keep Coding

You may be thinking, “ Yeah, yeah, all of that is great, but I already have a basic understanding of coding, so why keep learning more?” Well, my friend, there are a whole bunch of reasons to keep coding!

• More complicated projects - This one may seem obvious, but the better you become at coding, the cooler things you’ll be able to code. Maybe right now all you can really code is a simple animation on Scratch. If you keep learning, you’ll be able to code a video game on Scratch (and we promise it won’t even take that long to get there!).

• Use coding skills in video games - Once you learn more about coding and different coding languages, you’ll be able to use that knowledge in certain video games. For instance, if you start learning to code in Java, you’ll be able to code your very own mods for Minecraft! How cool is that?!?

• Becomes more fun - The more you know, the more you’ll be able to do, and (hopefully) the more you’ll connect with other coders. An improved ability coupled with a community of friends makes coding even more fun and interactive.

• Helpful in your (future) profession - Coding could be a great skill for your future profession. If you decide to become a developer, then coding is obviously a part of that. However, even if you have a job that is coding specific, having coding skills can help you understand IT, help others, and improve certain things on your own. It will definitely be a plus on your resume no matter what field you are in.

5 Ways to Improve Your Coding Skills

Free Tutorials

There are a TON of free tutorials for coding out there. No matter what level you’re at, there is a tutorial out there to help you. For beginners, we LOVE all of the tutorials you can find on the Scratch website. You can also find some great Scratch and Scratch Jr tutorials on our blog. Click here for Scratch Jr tutorials and here for Scratch tutorials.

Code.org is another great resource to find free coding tutorials. You can also look at Khan Academy for free tutorials that can guide you through more complex coding languages and projects. YouTube is another great resource where you can find free tutorials on pretty much any coding topci.

Join a Coding Challenge

There are a lot of differnt free coding challenges you can join. A great option for beginners in CodeCombat. CodeCombat combines coding and RPG gaming. You're given missions to complete and you need to code your character to solve puzzles and mazes to complete each challenge. Another option for coding challenges you can try is CodeWars. CodeWars has challenges to help you improve your coding in a variety of coding languages, but is probably better suited for those with more experience.

You can also join events like Coder Kids’ Free Minecraft Build Battle Event with Prizes. You’ll get to know other fans of Minecraft and get to improve your gaming and coding skills at the same time.

Books

There are so many books about coding, that you’ll be sure to find one that works for you. You can buy coding books, but they are also easy to find at libraries. Some of our favorite coding books include:

• Hello Ruby- This is a perfect book for little kids who are just starting on their coding journey. Kids will learn about decomposition, abstraction, pattern recognition, and algorithms while following Ruby on her adventure. You can read a full review of this book here.

• 25 Scratch 3 Games for Kids- This book teaches kids different coding and gaming mechanics through short min-game Scratch 3 tutorials. Each game tutorial builds on the previous one, so you’ll be improving with each one. This book helps you become familiar and proficient in Scratch 3.0 in a fun and interactive way. You can read our full review of this book here.

• JavaScript for Kids- This book teaches programming essentials through patient, step-by-step examples paired with funny illustrations. You’ll begin with the basics, like working with strings, arrays, and loops, and then move on to more advanced topics, like building interactivity with jQuery and drawing graphics with Canvas.

• The Ultimate Roblox Book- There are so many games and social worlds to create with Roblox, and this guide gives you the advice you need to get started. With everything from instructions for playing the games to tips on creating your own games and worlds to the basics of coding it can can help you to become a top Roblox designer!

Online Classes/Lessons

Another option for improving your coding skills is to take online classes or lessons. You can take on-demand or live online classes and/or private online lessons. On-demand classes are pre-recorded classes that will teach about different coding concepts (You can try the first Coder Kids On-Demand Online class for free).

You can also try private online lessons. You would have a one on one instructor who can help you learn whatever you are interested in pursuing in the coding field. This is a great option if you want to improve you coding skills quickly and you enjoy having a real-time instructor to ask your questions and design personalized projects. Learn about Coder Kids Private Lessons here.

Engage With the Coding Community

Engaging with other coders is a wonderful way to improve your coding skills. You’ll get excited to talk with your friends, work with others on projects, learn how they solve different problems, and have a place you can ask questions. There are a lot of different coding communities you can be a part of. For kids, the Scratch Community is a safe and fun community that we love. For older/more advnaced coders, there are a lot of different options. You can find coding communities easily just by searching on Google or by commenting on other tutorials you have been using.

Above All- PRACTICE

The best way to improve your coding skills is pretty simple… PRACTICE. The more you try, the better you’ll become. We know this technique for improving your coding skills isn’t very glamorous, but it really is the best way to improve. Watching tutorials, reading books, joining a coding community, online classes/lessons, joining challenges - none of these will help you if don’t actually practice the coding. You’ve got to be willing to put in some work, and use the above mentioned methods as tools to help you improve by putting them into action.

Conclusion

Coding is a super fun hobby that is becoming more and more popular. If you enjoy coding (or just want to learn how to get better at it), there are a few ways you can start improving your coding skills today at home:

• Free Tutorials

• Joining a Coding Challenge

• Books

• Online Classes/Lessons

• Engaging with the Coding Community

• Practice

We hope that you find these tips helpful in coding journey! Keep coding!

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