Teaching Programming Skills to Children?

KlaatuVN asks: "My younger siblings are asking for ways to learn to program. If I remember correctly, when I was younger I started programming by writing games like 'Lemonade Stand' in BASIC for the Commodore 64. Short of finding a Commodore 64 emulator and digging up some old BASIC programming books somewhere, what do you think is a good way of teaching children to program? I'm not trying to start a 'language war', but that does enter into it. Should I start with a scripting language? What, O Wise Slashdot Readers, are your opinions?" When I was just starting out in computers, I remember LOGO being a big help in teaching me the logic skills I would eventually use as a programmer. I know LOGO is still around, but it would be interesting to note if there are other similar projects like it. What tools, and programs would you use to teach programming skills to interested youngsters?

Comments

Start them off with a challenge!

[kurosawdust]

Malbolge.

Use Brainf*ck

[fredrikj]

'nuff said.

Re:Use Brainf*ck

[stefanlasiewski]

No, I'm sure they get enough of a brainfuck in school.

Teacher: "You are all individuals"
Students: "Yes, we are all individuals"

A pure and useless language

[splattertrousers]

Since they're just programming to learn to program, you have the opportunity to start with a "pure" language that doesn't necessarily have to be particularly useful.

I'd stay away from kludgy languages like C, C++, Java, Basic, etc.

So Smalltalk might be good. I'd suggest Lisp, but it might be too useless ;) I've also heard good things about Ruby.

And assembler might be good too. A big light turned on in my head when I learned assember, because I finally figured out what was going on inside the computer.

Re:Assembly

[GuyMannDude]

And teaching the kiddies assembly will have the side benefit of scaring them off of a career in programming so they'll be more likely to go where the big bucks are: business.

Sure they'll cry now when make them sit still and trace program flow through the LDA and JMP instructions but when they're making six figures a year just for spewing some business buzzwords at those five-per-day meetings in comfy, fancy chairs they won't be able to stop thanking you enough.

GMD

Movies

[GuyMannDude]

Sit them down on the couch, push the DVD of Hackers into your player, pour the microwave popcorn into a big bowl and have them enjoy the movie for 90 minutes. Then when the show is over, carefully explain to them that real-life programming is the exact opposite of everything they just saw.

Hope that helps,
GMD

Re:There's always

[Rick the Red]

Lego in general. It learns children

Apparantly not very well.