Do any of you recommend Python as a first programming language?

[sturlamolden]

On 22 Mar, 23:42, 7stud <bbxx789_0... at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Beginning programmers in grades 9-12 are not going to understand
> issues like that, and it would be a mistake to try and introduce
> them.  Beginning programmers should be concentrating their efforts on
> learning the syntax of a language and basic constructs like for-loops
> and if statements.

Yes. And because Python is a "scripting language" one does not even
have to introduce functions to demonstrate this. Students can play
with loops, datatypes, operators, assignments, and conditionals,
without being confused by higher level constructs like functions and
classes. Python is one of very few languages that allow that. If you
e.g. start to teach programming with with Java, students are from the
start faced with confusing constructs like classes and public static
methods if they are to try out anything on their own. With Python,
higher level constructs can be gradually introduced. That has a
tremendous pedagogical value.