[mamaniscalco]

I honestly believe that learning to program is similar to learning to speak languages. You can't truely learn them after childhood. Atleast not in the way that you could when you were a child - in the way we learn our native languages. That certainly doesn't mean that someone can't 'learn what programming is' but I have serious doubts that someone who learns to program as an adult will ever actually program like a native.

I could be wrong on this and I'm sure there are some exceptions. But I suspect the answer to your question could only really come from a gifted teacher. Asking a seasoned developer how to teach someone who has never programmed is probably akin to asking seasoned artist how to draw like a child. They probably can't really know the answer because of their level of sophistication and the fact that their brains have long since migrated the skill from the section of the brain that learns to the section of the brain that masters.

I'm certainly no teacher but perhaps something with a gentle learning curve such as basic HTML where the reward to effort ratio is faily high. Or the classic 'guess a number from 1 to 10' type of program which is easy to accomplish with a little assistance and teached loops, print to console and variables.

[ipa711]

I don't agree with either of your points, spoken language or programming language. I served in the military and studied CS. I graduated when I was 31 and have had a great career. I also learned Arabic while in the military. I don't think there is anything unique about my experience. The idea that adults stop learning is garbage. The brain is much more complex then that.

[mamaniscalco]

I never said adults stop learning. It would be terrible if we did.

But spoken language, absolutely true. For example, my wife speaks three languages fluently. But she dreams in Bulgarian, because that's what she is. I've been programming since I was six. Now, almost 50, I see virtually everything as a process (which is not a good thing, just as my wife). I strongly suspect that I think as I do because of what I've been doing every day for over forty years.

I didn't mean to offend. Clearly adults can learn and many can reach professional level with strong dedication. You are obviously one of them. But I still suspect that the children the OP teaches will get far more out of the lessons than the parents if they are taught in the same manner. Ask yourself if you ever think, count, dream etc in Arabic?