There’s an overwhelming amount of advice out there. Some suggest beginning with Scratch or other no-code platforms, while others recommend jumping straight into the command line or a “real” programming language.
I’m torn between a bottom-up approach (teaching the fundamentals first and building up) and a top-down approach (starting with something more visual and practical, then filling in the gaps later). If we go top-down, should we start with Scratch or dive directly into a language? If it’s a language, should it be Python, JavaScript, or something else?
Even on the hardware side, I’m debating whether it’s better to get her started on Windows, macOS, or something else entirely.
I’d love to hear from those of you who have introduced programming to kids (or started young yourselves). What worked, what didn’t, and what path would you recommend?
I've enjoyed success in getting people excited by having a person create an HTML button, and write a line of JavaScript that changes the background colour of the page to their favourite colour. After they have done that, and as such feel like a god, then some fundamentals via simple games.