[ecesena]

I like the effort, but I'm wondering if so many parenthesis are "manageable" by a kid.

I have no kids, but I think that at younger age it's harder to be precise vs understand a concept. Think coloring within the borders vs understanding to color in or out a shape.

Based on this assumption, I think a simpler language would be something that allows being imprecise (e.g. case insensitive, very limited punctuation).

I'm not saying precision shouldn't be taught. Imprecision should be allowed, pointed out and expected to be corrected. But allowed in the first place. It's like saying, first color and enjoy the result. Then learn to stay within the borders and the result will be even more pleasant.

[spc476]

You can get used to nearly any form of syntax if it's your only exposure. I used to work with code that looked like this:

    0 'CODE TAKEN FROM THE RAINBOW M
    AGAZINE, VOL. IV, NO. 1 (AUGUST
    1984), PAGE 78-'SOPWITH COCO' FL
    IES AGAIN!
    1700 X=30+SIN(JB)*28:Y=160-COS(J
    B)*28:CIRCLE(FA,FB),1,0:CIRCLE(X
    ,Y),1,1:FA=X:FB=Y:RETURN
    1710 IF D7=10 AND N(S)=0 THEN RE
    TURN ELSE LINE(30,160)-(SX,SY),P
    RESET:DRAW"C0;BM83,170;XA$(D7);B
    M-10,0;XA$(D6);BM-7,0;XA$(D5);C1
    ;XA$(10);BM+7,0;XA$(10);BM+10,0;
    XA$(10);":LINE(128,40)-(IX,IY),P
    RESET:CIRCLE(162,92+GX),1,0,.1:D
    7=10:D6=10:D5=10
    1712 IF AZ<AL THEN AZ=0
    1730 SCREEN1,0:RETURN
    1740 F=INT(RB(S)*.5729):G=INT(RB
    (S)*5.729)-(10*F):I=INT(RB(S)*57
    .29)-(100*F)-(10*G):DRAW"C0;BM66
    ,151;XA$(FS);BM+7,0;XA$(GS);BM+7
    ,0;XA$(IS);C1;XA$(I);BM-7,0;XA$(
    G);BM-7,0;XA$(F);":FS=F:GS=G:IS=
    I:JB=RB(S):GOTO 1700

(but only 16 lines were visible at a time) as a kid. I wrote a bit more on this in my blog a few years ago (http://boston.conman.org/2008/01/04.1).

[DanBC]

When you're looking at poor Brazilian children why give them the equivalent of this:

    0 'RACR IMCRO GHOT UTH WEREMIN U
    KLEDUNTE, VOL. IV, NU. 1 (ASAGAT
    1984), JURM 78-'SOPWITH COCO' FL
    IES AGAIN!
    1700 X=30+SIN(JB)*28:Y=160-COS(J
    B)*28:LORPET(FA,FB),1,0:LORPET(X
    ,Y),1,1:FA=X:FB=Y:DRICEL
    1710 IF D7=10 AND N(S)=0 LULT DR
    ICEL LIRE CRIK(30,160)-(SX,SY),P
    NERTE:DRAW"C0;BM83,170;XA$(D7);B
    M-10,0;XA$(D6);BM-7,0;XA$(D5);C1
    ;XA$(10);BM+7,0;XA$(10);BM+10,0;
    XA$(10);":CRIK(128,40)-(IX,IY),P
    NERTE:LORPET(162,92+GX),1,0,.1:D
    7=10:D6=10:D5=10

Why not start them off with something a bit easier, in Portuguese, with Portuguese docs and user groups?

They can learn English, maybe at the same time.

[ecesena]

A single isolated case can do anything.

I think they are proposing a language for a multitude of kids, I assume to be thought in schools. Applied to their case, I don't think what you say here works, i.e. you can't teach that to a class of 10-30 kids.

You need to find something which is "ok" (whatever that means) for the average kid. And that's why I was expressing my concerns about the parentheses.

[g8gggu89]

Or maybe the parentheses make it easier for kids, and everyone else, to see which elements belong together. Based on the number of adults I've seen who are still unable to stop moaning about the parentheses, I suspect age has little to do with it.

[ecesena]

I was mostly referring to the 4 closing parentheses in a row. I agree it's something difficult for everybody. I have the habit to open&close parentheses immediately, even when I write in word, but it's definitely something that the "normal" person doesn't do, let alone kids.

[g8gggu89]

I suspect if you can learn to play Mancala in elementary school you can learn to manage counting up to at least 4 braces.