[vox] ISO: Good programming language to teach an 8yr old

[Ken Herron]

I'm not a parent, and I don't know this kid, but do you actually know 
that he'd like to  write a game or use turtle graphics?

If you asked him, sure, he might say he wants to write a game. But if he 
writes some typical beginner-tutorial game like "hangman", he'll probably 
decide the game is lame about five seconds after he's done. Trying to 
write a "real" game, even one like Frozen Bubble, might end with him 
quitting in frustration. As for turtle graphics, I suspect the modern 
male child would learn how to draw a star, then a boobie, then get bored 
with it.

Maybe you could start him out with mysql and show him how to make a 
database of his classmates or his action figures or something. That leads 
pretty quickly into writing utilities and web front-ends.

-- 
"Grand Funk Railroad paved the way for Jefferson Airplane, which cleared
the way for Jefferson Starship. The stage was now set for the Alan Parsons
Project, which I believe was some sort of hovercraft." - Homer Simpson

Kenneth Herron        Kherron@newsguy.com       916-366-7338