Yes -- I think sort of the most basic BASIC programming is done with Scratch, and then they graduate to Python. In the UK I gather kids are taught Scratch and

Yes -- I think sort of the most basic BASIC programming is done with Scratch, and then they graduate to Python. In the UK I gather kids are taught Scratch and Python in an overlapping fashion, so they see the structure on the Scratch view and then have a better chance of understanding how the code works without being thrown off by the symbols. This is probably better in a pedagogical sense, and I am sure Scratch programmers have a better early understanding of flow control and things like loop termination conditions than BASIC programmers did; Scratch makes it more physical. But it does lose that absolute immediacy of being able to type simple words onto an empty screen and see it do things.