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Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

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Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#71

Post by stolenmerch »

theelous3 wrote: post #33

I taught in a coderdojo for a while. As a mentor; unless the kid wants to go, please don't come :) So many uninterested kids from helicopter parents. Kids as young as 6 just absolutely clueless and learning nothing. If you want your kid to program, just buy them an actual computer system with files and a terminal, not some ipad shit, and let them at it. If they code they code. If they don't, you can try teaching them…

I taught one as well. Always felt horrible because I gave most of my time to the couple of kids who were naturally jazzed about it. It felt like I could have done more to inspire the other kids who didn't seem to care, but maybe I did more good helping the ones who did.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#72

Post by Aeolun »

colinmhayes wrote: post #9

Your kid is 7. I'm pretty sure hat I was eating dirt when I was 7. If he has showed you he's interested in programming then go ahead, but make sure you're not projecting your own interests onto your kid. It'll lead to resentment in 7 or 8 years.

I’m already projecting my own interests opinion on my child by virtue of what I choose to give him for his birthday, or allow him to do in general though.

I don’t think this is something you can (or should, it’s basically the definition of parenting) avoid as a parent.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#73

Post by sharadov »

GraffitiTim wrote: post #24

My daughter (who just turned 4) seemed like she might like programming, so I started out having her "program" a stuffed walrus, by telling it whether to go forward, backward, left, or right to get to a piece of food. Her natural inclination was to point to where it should go, so I first taught her that the walrus doesn't understand pointing or the word "here", just the directions. Then we started "programming each ot…

The Osmo is cool, it's playful and feedback is great.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#74

Post by gfaure »

dave_sid wrote: post #59
colinmhayes wrote: post #9

Your kid is 7. I'm pretty sure hat I was eating dirt when I was 7. If he has showed you he's interested in programming then go ahead, but make sure you're not projecting your own interests onto your kid. It'll lead to resentment in 7 or 8 years.

I agree completely. I don’t understand the recent trend to believe that we need to get kids into software engineering as soon as they pop out of the birth canal. My friend is an accountant. If he asked me for advice on how to make spreadsheets more fun for his kid I’d think he had something against his kid. In the words of Pink Floyd “Hey! Nerds! Leave them kids alone!”

To be fair, software engineering connects better to the interests of STEM-ish kids (video games, robotics, electronics) than spreadsheets ever could.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#75

Post by staunch »

Aeolun wrote: post #72
colinmhayes wrote: post #9

Your kid is 7. I'm pretty sure hat I was eating dirt when I was 7. If he has showed you he's interested in programming then go ahead, but make sure you're not projecting your own interests onto your kid. It'll lead to resentment in 7 or 8 years.

I’m already projecting my own interests opinion on my child by virtue of what I choose to give him for his birthday, or allow him to do in general though. I don’t think this is something you can (or should, it’s basically the definition of parenting) avoid as a parent.

And beyond environment, it's likely (but not certain) that your child's genetics predispose them to enjoy programming, if you do.

From John Carmack Twitter's feed, it sounds like his kid is well on his way to being a great programmer, which should surprise no one.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#76

Post by Aeolun »

tomxor wrote: post #62
ed25519FUUU wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The best thing we can do for our children right now is keep them AWAY FROM SCREENS!

Keep in mind that there is a colossal difference between a screen that boots into a basic interpreter (BBC/Atari/Amiga style) and a screen that boots into iOS/android/youtube/bubblepop-whatever-the-current-attention-grabby-brain-dead-game-of-the-moment-is If my kid is interested in the former I would not stop them, because it's an effective tool to learn about thinking, just like other toys... but the later I'm essen…

Is TV a drug too then?

Just like alcohol, I think there’s nothing unacceptably wrong with it in moderation.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#77

Post by dragonwriter »

lmilcin wrote: post #63
dave_sid wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree completely. I don’t understand the recent trend to believe that we need to get kids into software engineering as soon as they pop out of the birth canal. My friend is an accountant. If he asked me for advice on how to make spreadsheets more fun for his kid I’d think he had something against his kid. In the words of Pink Floyd “Hey! Nerds! Leave them kids alone!”

> I don’t understand the recent trend You are mistaken about that "recent" part. Parents have always wanted their kids to go to best schools and learn for well paying, prestige jobs. It's just that what is well paying has changed. Why wouldn't I want my kids to be interested in something that will get them good start in life, that could be groundwork for their future careers ASSUMING it is fun for them and they are d…

> Parents have always wanted their kids to go to best schools

Parents haven't even always wanted their kids to go to school.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#78

Post by geomark »

shireboy wrote: post #31

I'm in exactly the same boat, and doing very similar to you. My son is 11 and daughter 8. Both do Code.org and/or Scratch fairly regularly. Son wants to get into modding Minecraft, but honestly I'm a little annoyed with how shady and complicated that process is. Or maybe I'm just too old to "get it". I don't discourage him from it, but haven't been able to teach him that as much. Son also recently bought with his own…

Have you seen the book "Adventures in Minecraft [1]? Modding Minecraft with Python. I'm working through it with my 10 year old at the moment. Pretty good so far. Nothing "shady" (not sure what you meant by that) and not complicated.

[1] https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Adventures+in+Minecraft%2C+2nd+E...

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#79

Post by dave_sid »

sharker8 wrote: post #67
dave_sid wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree completely. I don’t understand the recent trend to believe that we need to get kids into software engineering as soon as they pop out of the birth canal. My friend is an accountant. If he asked me for advice on how to make spreadsheets more fun for his kid I’d think he had something against his kid. In the words of Pink Floyd “Hey! Nerds! Leave them kids alone!”

Actually making accounting fun for kids is also a good idea and should be encouraged.

Well you could say that about any vocation.

Re: Ask HN: Please share your experience teaching your kids to program

#80

Post by hutzlibu »

lmilcin wrote: post #63
dave_sid wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree completely. I don’t understand the recent trend to believe that we need to get kids into software engineering as soon as they pop out of the birth canal. My friend is an accountant. If he asked me for advice on how to make spreadsheets more fun for his kid I’d think he had something against his kid. In the words of Pink Floyd “Hey! Nerds! Leave them kids alone!”

> I don’t understand the recent trend You are mistaken about that "recent" part. Parents have always wanted their kids to go to best schools and learn for well paying, prestige jobs. It's just that what is well paying has changed. Why wouldn't I want my kids to be interested in something that will get them good start in life, that could be groundwork for their future careers ASSUMING it is fun for them and they are d…

No worries, you seem to be doing fine.

I would justs try, not to put too much pressure on him (or you) to make progress with your project, when he wants to do other things. And in fact, don't forget to motivate him to do other things, like play outside with friends in the actual dirt. Or with you. That is very important for his motoric, social and immune skills, too. In general, just being a kid. With not too much responsibilities and just being able to play freely. 1.5 h of serious work and learning every day do sound a bit much, if that means, it is cut from the outside time with you.

You can also combine being outside with the project, by having pen and paper around to discuss and write things that come to mind ...

Oh - and of course: have you considered Lego Mindstorms? I had great success with it, teaching nephews the basic of robotics. With something they can touch. And the ability to work with their hands and minds, as this involves also designing of the chassis and the arragnement of sensors, etc. In general, LEGO is very accessible. So I would start with that, before turning into a more serious base of actual robots.

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