Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
From: tob AT world DOT std DOT com ("Tom Breton")
Subject: Re: Teaching a child to program in C
Message-ID: <rootr9xm9lnp.fsf@world.std.com>
Sender: root AT pc
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1998 00:26:02 GMT
References: <35F56D01 DOT 4BC6 AT erols DOT com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
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To: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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"John S. Fine" <johnfine AT erols DOT com> writes:

> 
> I have a very bright 7 year old who wants to learn to
> program.  I program mainly in assembler and occasionally
> in C.  I know there are better first programming laguages
> than C, but I would rather teach him a language that I
> am comfortable in myself (and assembler is clearly a
> worse choice).
> 

Pardon me for making a suggestion that you may have already decided
against, but have you considered LOGO?  It's the only language I can
think of that is meant for a child.  And frankly, I don't see a
7-year-old, no matter how brite they are, using C without so much
frustration as to make it a lasting negative experience.  "Getting"
the idea of writing source code at all is a tall order for a
7-year-old boy.

If he picks up LOGO easily and seems bored with it or frustrated with
how little it can do, then is the time to introduce real languages.

	Tom