

Ask HN: When did you start teaching your kids to code? - aaudette

My oldest just turned 5, and while I don't think he's ready quite yet, I'm hoping he will be soon. When did you start? What language(s) did they seem to do the best with?
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thebigshane
My oldest is 4 so I can't answer your question directly but I would like to
share my thoughts on it.

First, do they have the prerequisites? Can they read sentences and understand
flow of words on paper by themselves? Know numbers, addition and subtraction
and some multiplication? Type on keyboard and/or use the mouse to navigate
WIMP UI?

If they don't know all of those things yet, you could still play with things
like Scratch[1] and then move into LOGO[2] soon after.

I think you can focus on those prereqs now and supplement with "programming-
like" activities: Legos, calculators and an old laptop for figuring things out
on their own. On a side note I finally found a use for the old OLPC[3] I
impulsively bought a few years back :-)

[1]:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratch_%28programming_language...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratch_%28programming_language%29)

[2]: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo_%28programming_language%29>

[3]: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OLPC_XO-1>

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acheron
My son is 6 months, so don't have any experience yet from this side, but my
dad started teaching me GW-BASIC when I was about 7. I'm not sure what the
modern equivalent would be. Python perhaps.

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brudgers
> _"My oldest just turned 5, and while I don't think he's ready quite yet"_

Fucking, duh.

~~~
pdenya
Thanks for your helpful input but contrary to your expressed sentiments it's
not obvious to parents that 5 is too young. My 3 y/o is able to easily
navigate the ipad and the computer, play games, find and start movies, etc. I
wouldn't be surprised to meet a 6 year old who understands basic programming
expressions.

~~~
brudgers
> _"I wouldn't be surprised to meet a 6 year old who understands basic
> programming expressions."_

I wouldn't be surprised either. I would be saddened [in the context of that
being the realization of a parent's goals].

~~~
aaudette
Who said anything about the realization of a parent's goal? He's already
asking me when I'll help him make an iPhone app.

~~~
brudgers
From the initial post: _"I'm hoping he will be soon"_

A five year old can help by sitting on your lap and telling you about
dinosaurs...but you will have to ignore the computer and pay attention to him.

The best parenting advice I ever got was, "You will never regret taking your
child fishing."

Good luck.

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pdenya
I can't speak from experience but you might find this site helpful:
<http://www.happynerds.net/>

