Choose the Right Programming Language for Your Child in Singapore

My son Alan has had a strong interest in computers since he was young, largely because of video games. When he was 6 years old, I began introducing him to basic programming. Scratch is an excellent choice for young children starting out in coding. Later, we participated in the MakeIT robotics course together, and every time, he would sit at the computer for 3 hours straight, which really amazed me.

I thought it was time to teach him a more systematic approach to learning programming.

As we all know, there are dozens of popular programming languages, and most parents don’t know where to start. In our generation, we typically began with procedural programming languages like Pascal or Basic. Although these languages were good for building foundational knowledge, they are outdated today.

I then reconsidered my approach and thought it might be a good idea to get started with competitive programming. This way, Alan could apply his programming skills in competitions to assess his progress, and help him get into a good secondary school via direct school admission (DSA). So, I did some research and found three major programming competitions in Singapore:

• National Robotics Competition
• Drone Odyssey Challenge
• Coding OLYMPICS

These three competitions are all organized by the Science Center Singapore (SCS).

The National Robotics Competition (NRC) is probably the largest and oldest of the three. The Regular category uses Lego’s programming kits and emphasizes the integration of software and hardware to solve real-world problems.

The Drone Odyssey Challenge focuses on the application of drones. Teams are divided into categories based on the drone models they use, such as Parrot and DJI, and the challenge involves solving problems in specific scenarios using drones equipped with sensors.

The Coding Olympics is a new competition that held its first edition in 2024. It seems like the Science Center Singapore (SCS) wants to develop it into an international event. The website doesn’t provide much information, and strangely, the platform used is CodeMonkey, a subscription-based graphical programming platform.

All three competitions have certain entry barriers, requiring initial investments in both software and hardware.

In addition to programming, teamwork and presentation skills are also key assessment areas. Each competing team needs 2-4 members, who must collaborate to complete tasks. The project presentation at the end of the competition also contributes to the final score.

Ultimately, I decided to get Alan started with a Lego Spike Essential kit and a DJI Tello Talent drone. I will write a separate article about the hardware selection process.

If your child is also interested in programming, you can join us and form a team to compete together, level up, and have fun!