Which kid's beginners programming - Python or Forth?

[Daniel Dittmar]

BORT wrote:
> I told my son, who wants to learn how to compute probabilities, that we
> have to start with some boring stuff so we can learn how to do the cool
> stuff.  Adding and subtracting aren't really fun, but figuring odds on
> rolling dice IS fun.  Learning to program will be kind of like that.
> He accepted that explantion.

I'm not sure that you actually have to start with the boring stuff. 
Imagine that you have a small, but complete program that executes some 
random function a thousand times and plots the distribution. Your son 
could probably
* start to change parameters to the function
* try out the different distributions in the library
* combine them to form new distributions (e.g. roll two n-sided dice)
* build more complex simulations (pit two Dungeons&Dragons fighters 
against each other by rolling simulated dice)

It's a bit more work for you as you'll have to decide on each step how 
much of the infrastructure you implement without taking away all the 
challenges.

Python vs. FORTH: what you learn from Python is more easily transferred 
to other programming languages. And if you happend to speak German, 
there is "Python für Kids" 
<http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/3826609514/qid%3D1119950457/302-9800191-4449651>

Daniel