I begun my programming career with BASIC and went on later to Pascal (a two-week programming course on summer vacation for kids). Now I know _many_ other languages, like C/C++, Java, Perl, PHP and others.
My point is: DO NOT teach them the one language they'll probably be using for the rest of their lives. DO teach them GOTO - it is after all easier to understand than functions. It is a bad habit, but so what? Kids won't be publishing anything after a year of programming in the age of 14.
There isn't a perfect programming language. Kids will be learning many languages anyway.
So; get them started with bad habits so that they can really learn and understand WHY they are bad habits! Basic IS a good way to start - Pascal is a perfect second language. Both make pixel/line/circle graphics easy.
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I begun my programming career with BASIC and went on later to Pascal (a two-week programming course on summer vacation for kids). Now I know _many_ other languages, like C/C++, Java, Perl, PHP and others.
My point is: DO NOT teach them the one language they'll probably be using for the rest of their lives. DO teach them GOTO - it is after all easier to understand than functions. It is a bad habit, but so what? Kids won't be publishing anything after a year of programming in the age of 14.
There isn't a perfect programming language. Kids will be learning many languages anyway.
So; get them started with bad habits so that they can really learn and understand WHY they are bad habits! Basic IS a good way to start - Pascal is a perfect second language. Both make pixel/line/circle graphics easy.