Which Coding Language is Best for Kids to Learn First?

STEM Education
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The Importance of Choosing the Right Language

It’s certainly important to choose the right language for kids. Learning a new language includes understanding new ideas and concepts. If the language is too hard, it spells too much trouble for kids, especially beginners, and they won’t continue learning. But, if it’s too easy, they won’t feel challenged and inspired and will lose their interest as well.

Since you understand the importance of choosing the exact right first coding language for your child, here maybe help you pick the right one.

Scratch 3.0

Scratch was created by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab to be a children’s programming language. MIT is one of the most prestigious technology institutions in the world. Scratch is believed to be the best programming language for kids aged 8 to 16. Throughout the world, there are more than 26 million Scratch users. In the US, nearly half of the programming courses use Scratch as their language. As a programming education tool, it’s definitely setting the bar high, and, more importantly, it’s free.

Python

Python is now considered one of the easiest coding languages to learn. However, don’t underestimate its power just because it’s easy. Companies like Google and Disney use it to build many of their products and platforms.

When learning coding, it’s more important for your kids to learn to think like a programmer than writing code. Python is designed to present very few obstacles when it comes to learning how to program. As a result, students will be able to learn how to build out their ideas. After that, the courses lead them to think about how to transfer their ideas into instructions that a machine can interpret. If you want to lay a foundation for your kids and help them to learn to think like a programmer, Python is your choice.

Swift

Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language. Developed by Apple Inc. for iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, Linux, and z/OS, it’s an open-source coding language used by app developers all over the world. Swift is the future of Apple development.

Tools like Makeblock Neuron Explorer Kit has a series of programmable electronic blocks that function as sensors, lights, sounds, motors, and so on. It gives children the power to create almost anything by using those blocks. The kit encourages kids to explore and expand their creativity. With the 12 programmable Neuron blocks and Swift coding, the kit can turn the ideas in their heads into real creations, such as explorer car, piano, ukulele, and LED Swords. Users can not only enjoy the pleasure of DIY, but also taste the magic of building with electronic blocks. Many people have said that it’s an interesting way to weave software and hardware learning. So, if you are thinking about learning how to build apps, it’s time to start getting to know this language and use it with robots.
explorerkit2

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I had my kids learn JavaScript when they were younger, and taught them to work with Quake as a basic mod building environment. It was nice because it was immediate, easy to follow, and required literally nothing but a text editor and a browser.
Quake at the time was about the only skinnable/modable game out there, and it had great level and model editing tools.
They’re both grown adults now, and while neither of them are professional developers, they both developed a love of making game mods.

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lisp

newlisp is better ,simpler than common lisp

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I would say “Python”:slight_smile:

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Removed the link from the original post, that really looks like an ad, and this forum is not an ad board.

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I would suggest BASIC to get something going in a safe interpreted environment, then Pascal to encourage structured programming…but I’m an 80s kid

I started on BBC BASIC and logo with the turtle attached drawing pictures on the floor.

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From an educational perspective, I think C is much better language, you get good feedback from the compiler and provides greater insight into how the machine is operating and any stackoverflow hit will have something more idiomatic to the language than python (where python has constructs that feel like incantations).

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I would disagree with C. It’s a language that all développer should know, but not a good starting point. If all 8bitters from the 70s and 80s would have use C as language nobody, or close to, would have even made their own games in there.

Basic and interpreted languages (and better languages that can be run on the command line, like BASIC is the best way to learn and try to see what this or that is doing without the fear of crashing everything. C is a good language but you have to understand how memory, pointers, string manipulation and lots of other complicated things work to do more than a simple hello world (and even there you need to know how to include a file, how to compile etc…)

It can be ok for students with a teacher, and yet… but to learn and tinker by yourself it is clearly not a good choice.

On modern languages I would go for python (not the easiest but easier than C) or Lua in a proper environment (like PICO-8 and similar environments)

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For kids there is scratch also.

Back in the day I was really impressed with Turtle: https://turtleacademy.com

It uses LOGO language and its nice for kids because its something they can directly see that something is happening from their input (For example, the turle moving to the direction they set)

Also there are nice lessons: https://turtleacademy.com/lessons

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Well the Turtle is normally part of the logo language (but the logo is not just the turtle as some people think, in fact LOGO is a complete language)