Countless schools, libraries, and families have proven that the Raspberry Pi is the best way to introduce kids to programming. In the previous four articles in this series, you have learned how to purchase[1], install[2], and configure[3] a Raspberry Pi. In this fifth article, we will share some entry-level resources to help kids program with the Raspberry Pi.
Scratch
Scratch[4] is a great way for kids to understand the basic concepts of programming (such as variables, boolean logic, loops, etc.). You can find it in Raspbian, and there are many articles and tutorials about Scratch available online, including one on Opensource.com titled Is Today’s Scratch Like “Teaching Kids LOGO Programming in the 1980s”?[5].
Code.org
Code.org[6] is another excellent online resource for teaching kids programming. The mission of this organization is to get more people involved in programming through courses, tutorials, and the popular Hour of Code. Many schools (including the one my fifth-grade son attends) use it to help more kids learn programming and computer science concepts.
Reading
Reading is another great way to learn programming. You don’t need to speak English to learn how to program, but of course, if you do speak English, it will be easier because most programming languages use English keywords to describe commands. If your English is good enough to easily read the upcoming articles in this Raspberry Pi series, then you are fully capable of reading books, forums, and other publications about programming. I recommend a book by Jason Biggs: Python for Kids: A Very Cool Introduction to Programming[7].
Raspberry Jam
Another great way to get your kids into programming is to let them interact with others at gatherings. The Raspberry Pi Foundation sponsors an event called Raspberry Jams[8], which brings together kids and adults around the world to learn on the Raspberry Pi. If there isn’t a Raspberry Jam in your area, the Foundation has aguide[9] and other resources to help you start one.
Games
The last one (and certainly not the only other way) is that Minecraft[10] has a version for the Raspberry Pi. My World has grown from a multiplayer game, similar to “digital Lego”, into a platform where anyone can use Python and other programming languages to build their own virtual worlds. For more information, check out Getting Started with Minecraft Pi[11] and Minecraft Hour of Code Tutorial[12].
Do you have any treasured resources for teaching kids programming with the Raspberry Pi? Please share them in the comments below.
via: https://opensource.com/article/19/3/teach-kids-program-raspberry-pi
Author: Anderson Silva[14] Topic: lujun9972 Translator: qhwdw Proofreader: wxy
This article is originally compiled by LCTT and honorably presented by Linux China.
