12 year old wants to learn how to program

2012-11-02 09:29:20

Python

, 2012-11-02 09:29:20

I installed Python myself and not very persistently sometimes watches all sorts of video instructions on how to program something. Most often, he simply copies the already finished code and rejoices that it works.
Why Python? I don't know. apparently someone advised him.
How to direct this interest in the right direction?
I'm good at programming myself. But if I have to, I'll figure it out.
But I don’t know how to start teaching a teenager.

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20 answer(s)

creage, 2012-11-02
@creage

Do not touch it, let him learn everything himself, through trial and error - this will make it better remembered, and add experience.

Inori, 2012-11-02
@Inori

Python is a perfectly acceptable choice.
If English is ok, then the best choice would be online courses from different universities (udacity, coursera).
Here is an example of a course that teaches the basics of programming, just in Python:
www.udacity.com/overview/Course/cs101/CourseRev/apr2012

TimID, 2012-11-02
@TimID

In my opinion (what's there, I'm sure) that you need to start with RobotC by buying LegoMindstormsNXT for this.
An absolutely awesome book with illustrations is on the developer's website [ www.robotc.net/download/nxt/ ]:
www.robotc.net/education/curriculum/nxt/pdfs/nxt_all_lessons.pdf
The book itself is in English, but we (we have a circle according to interests) we will soon make a translation, although everything is clear there and so.
The main thing is that the child will "steer" a real robot, which at the age of 12 is much more interesting than HelloWorld, in my opinion.
Plus, he will be able to participate in robotics competitions.

Sild, 2012-11-03
@Sild

12 years old, 5-6 grade, at that time I myself began to show interest in programming - albeit not so active, but it's a pity.
He will figure everything out himself, you also need to be able to run the written code.

Stac, 2012-11-03
@Stac

Show him PHP and JavaScript.
Not that these languages are better than Python, but they are more common. And this means that the number of simple useful tasks that respected advisers mention will be much larger.
But the best motivation for a programmer (tested on me, for someone it may not work) is the observation and realization that his programs are used and bring benefits (make life easier).
You can enjoy writing programs for yourself. But it's a hundred times more fun (and harder, yes) to do it for others.
In the latter case, in addition to improving programming skills, the guy will receive a plus in communication and business skills.

Gibbzy, 2012-11-02
@gibbzy

Look at small basic, at the age of 24, for some reason, I was wildly pissed off by him.
It is not serious, of course, but it will give you the basics.

telegamochka, 2012-11-02
@telegamochka

I was given a programmable calculator at that age :) And when a year or two later I got access to a normal computer (Yamaha MSX), the main incentive was to try to repeat the games. I had to study Pascal and tinker with assembler codes.
Maybe you should buy an Arduino for a person? And programming, and something that goes beyond the computer, interacting with the real world. And the learning curve is low.

LuckyStarr, 2012-11-02
@LuckyStarr

You can try reading Code. The secret language of computer science - Charles Petzold. I think this book would lay a good foundation.

kmike, 2012-11-02
@kmike

There is a book, in English, Invent With Python, suitable for children from 10 years old; in it they study python, making various games on it. The book is available under CC: inventwithpython.com/chapters/
It is in English. If this is a problem, then you can translate it to a teenager.

Zoberg, 2012-11-03
@Zoberg

At this age, I wrote Action Script 1.0 (Macromedia Flash 5 was). Now it's already 3.0, however, there is and it's called Adobe Flash CS6 :) I really liked that you can draw some primitives in 10 minutes and immediately write code so that all this somehow interacts with each other :)

kaladhara, 2012-11-02
@kaladhara

Google "Computer Science Teaching Methodology" and "Computer Science Textbook" in Swedish.
First, read it yourself (there is usually a lot of water, especially in the first chapters, but then there will be specific recommendations), then try to study with the child according to the textbook (naturally, adapting examples and tasks for python).

mariofag, 2012-11-02
@mariofag

If he is good with English, let him read Dive Into Python, a good book.
You can also try to get him interested in sports programming (CodeForces.ru, now olympiads.ru/zaoch is going on and there are still quite simple tasks).

pomeo, 2012-11-02
@pomeo

habrahabr.ru/qa/18684/ there are many comments

jrip, 2012-11-02
@jrip

If there is interest, he will deal with everything.
Documentation, forums, books on the Web is now the sea.
As an option for help, come up with an interesting, simple, useful task.
As far as I can remember myself, I wanted to, could and even managed to program, but there was a crisis of ideas about what to program something useful :)

lightman, 2012-11-03
@lightman

The main thing is to find and provide him with a list of educational materials and literature (so that he does not waste computer time on this), and then let him do it himself.

safright, 2012-11-04
@safright

I recommend looking through Anatoly Levenchuk's LiveJournal - don't look at the archaic format, my uncle just likes it. So, he very systematically and consistently teaches his son programming, it seems to me that in this area he has one of the best approaches. Or just talk to him about it.
IMHO: the best thing to start with is Python, a minimum of textbooks and a maximum of practical visual tasks.

LuckyStarr, 2012-11-24
@LuckyStarr

Check out another book called "Java Programming for Kids, Parents, Grandparents" by Yakov Fine. The preface states that it is suitable for children aged 11+.

bogolt, 2012-11-24
@bogolt

There is a wonderful python library pygame for creating games. There are examples on the site of how to work with it. In general, games are a great task to start with - you can make them complex, you can make them simple. A person immediately sees the result of his work, and this gives him the desire to continue. I think every programmer in childhood (and many at a more mature age) dreamed of making games themselves.

asd111, 2015-02-21
@asd111

Give your child as many good programming books as possible.
We need books on Python itself, on algorithms and data structures, on Django, on databases (SQL).
What kind of books are needed in each case you will find in the search on this site, it was often discussed here.
If you do everything right, then at the age of 15 or earlier, your child will start making money on Python.