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People really think 7 year olds should learn java/c/c++/etc... ? Thats absurd. All the great stuff these languages provide is only useful after you can deal
by roundsquare 17y ago
People really think 7 year olds should learn java/c/c++/etc... ? Thats absurd. All the great stuff these languages provide is only useful after you can deal with some abstraction. Till then, the most critical thing for kids is getting them to think in "small steps."
- ricree 17y agoAgreed, but I think this article is railing against a strawman. The choices aren't between basic and C++. Python, for example, can be used with simplicity rivaling most dialects of basic, but it is also a fairly powerful and expressive language once they get used to it. Then there are things like squeak or Alice that are aimed at providing a gentle and fun introduction to programming. Learning basic is certainly preferable to learning nothing, and like a great many people here I also was introduced to programming through it. But as far as I can see there is little to no reason to consider it a preferable introductory language.