Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#1

Post by KoZeN » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 3:33 PM UTC

There are few careers around today that wouldn't benefit from the employee having a better understanding of programming and just IT in general.

As well as the fundamentals such as reading, writing & mathematics, I fully intend to introduce my son to computing from a very early age.

I was thinking that I could introduce him to things like BASIC not long after he masters the art of counting to ten but I would love to hear from you guys.

How would you suggest I give my son a head-start in an IT orientated world? He's 6 months old currently so I have plenty of time!

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#2

Post by captaincrunch » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 3:35 PM UTC

If you'd like to give him a head start, give him room to decide what he'd like to do.

Don't limit his abilities, or options.

Perhaps he will not be interested in IT? He could be the man to cure Cancer.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#3

Post by apl » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 3:39 PM UTC

> He's 6 months old currently so I have plenty of time!

You do indeed. Don't forget that. You have at least 8 years left before your kid should start doing this kind of thing. Just let him use a computer in a completely natural way, don't force anything on him. Programming is decidedly different from, say, playing the violin!

Also, less importantly, skip the shitty languages phase. It's not necessary to go through Pascal or BASIC before you can get to the good stuff: Python will do from the very beginning.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#4

Post by coffeenut » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 3:43 PM UTC

I've always thought something like turtle graphics (e.g. http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/webturtle/) is a neat way to teach kids programming/algorithm basics.

It's simple enough to understand the basics, yet powerful enough to be engaging enough to keep a child's interest, providing them a direct visual output to their 'code'.

I would stay away from the higher level stuff like Visual Basic; there is so much magic going on under the hood that it becomes difficult to really internalize the basic concepts of programming.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#5

Post by jonnathanson » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 3:43 PM UTC

We learn what we love. Best way to get him to learn computers is to get him to love computers. You'll be setting him up for a life of social awkwardness and little success in the dating game, but you'll be doing the right thing for him. :)

I would start him on games and other "fun" stuff. Teach him to make his own games via BASIC or some equivalent thereof. If it's fun, he'll want to do it on his own. If you're just shoving it at him and it's not fun, he'll resent it and may even rebel against it.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#6

Post by KoZeN » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 3:58 PM UTC

captaincrunch wrote: post #2

If you'd like to give him a head start, give him room to decide what he'd like to do. Don't limit his abilities, or options. Perhaps he will not be interested in IT? He could be the man to cure Cancer.

You're absolutely spot on but speak to any scientist or doctor and they will undoubtedly tell you that they would probably benefit from being ahead of the curve from a technological perspective. All of todays innovators embrace technology and all of todays technology require a distinct understanding of computing and/or electronic engineering.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#7

Post by patio11 » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 4:02 PM UTC

Read to him when he is young, with him when older. It is the most stupidly effective academic intervention I'm aware of.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#8

Post by KoZeN » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 4:03 PM UTC

patio11 wrote: post #7

Read to him when he is young, with him when older. It is the most stupidly effective academic intervention I'm aware of.

Agreed and this is something I started whilst he was still in the womb!

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#9

Post by iworkforthem » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 4:07 PM UTC

I would definitely teach 3yr & 1yr a lot of Mathematics & Finance. Flashcard and iPhone apps definitely helped.

IT skills become more of a necessity once they hit school. I see Programming as a form of art, unless you are interested in it. It's not going to be of any interest to them, like it is to me.

Re: Ask HN: How do I give my son a head start?

#10

Post by steveklabnik » Tue, Nov 02, 2010, 4:16 PM UTC

apl wrote: post #3

> He's 6 months old currently so I have plenty of time! You do indeed. Don't forget that. You have at least 8 years left before your kid should start doing this kind of thing. Just let him use a computer in a completely natural way, don't force anything on him. Programming is decidedly different from, say, playing the violin! Also, less importantly, skip the shitty languages phase. It's not necessary to go through Pa…

> don't force anything on him.

This is absolutely true. One of the risks that you take when you have a child is that he'll turn out totally different than you. My father was a farmer, and so we're from basically two different worlds. He could never understand why I wanted to be on the computer on the time, I couldn't understand why he wanted to be outside all the time. But since neither of us tried to force each other on the issue, we got along just fine.

> It's not necessary to go through Pascal or BASIC before you can get to the good stuff:

http://hackety-hack.com/