I started in the mid-late 80s at 4-5 years old, first BASIC and then straight to assembly. I think my first full game in assembly (which was pretty simple) I ma

I started in the mid-late 80s at 4-5 years old, first BASIC and then straight to assembly. I think my first full game in assembly (which was pretty simple) I made it at around 9 years of age. 6502 assembly is very easy, you just really needed a good book, or a patient parent, and you were sent. The machine was grokkable. To be fair this approach has many merits with the computers of the time. My main machines were a Commodore 64 (8-bit) and then the Amiga (16 bit models that were very popular by 1988~1991, although the later Amigas are 32-bit). Lots of people followed this progression. At the time many of us saw programming as a more advanced, "cooler" activity than just playing. It was admired in the nerdy circles that you came up with some clever routine in assembly that did something seemingly impossible for the machine. I think the form of BASIC that came with the Commodore 128 is ideal for kids to learn. It even came with an asm monitor runnable directly from the BASIC prompt. If I have kids I think I will teach them this way, it's so effective.