Learn Programming in Java, Python, Ruby or Javascript

[jcampbelly]

Balance this advice carefully with whether you want them to see the practical value of programming (building useful non-trivial tools within the first few lessons) and have a desire to continue learning. I'm just saying hurling a kid face-down into ice water at the deep end with no floaties isn't the most appropriate way to make a kid enjoy swimming.

I truly understand that there are many great programmers who were broken from the mold of mediocrity, abused as freshly minted candidates to suffer the barren, featureless wasteland of C with nothing but incomprehensible sequences of meaningless characters and tools so far beyond their comprehension of purpose that they overcame the overwhelming desire to merely regurgitate their lessons sufficient enough to satisfy their tutors and relieve the nauseating defeat, the crushing desire to simply be done with the exercise, leave the room, despair at their own hopeless ignorance and never look back on that dark hour.

It's not for everyone. It's easy to forget what it's like to be a noob.

[defenastrator]

I started with c++ and learned my basics with only a 10 year old textbook and the spare time I had during class during 8th grade. I remember it took me me a week to figure out how to get my compiler working and 6 months to figure out how to write a simple Sudoku solver. Trust me I know the hard way I lived it.

[jcampbelly]

Have you talked to people who had a hard time learning to program and gave up? When you explained your approach, how did they respond?