Beginning Microsoft Small Basic - Review by Janelle N & her son (age 10)

It's time for a guest blogger!

Today's guest blogger is JannelleN and her 10 year old son. Let's get to it...

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I love exposing my children to different activities and experiences. A wide range of exposure helps them explore and discover their God-given talents and passions.

Like many kids his age, my oldest son LOVES technology and gadgets. He is also looking for ways to start his own business.

As I look for ways to help him think like a creator/inventor/business man and not just a consumer, computer science sounds like just the thing we should try next!...

The tutorial is designed to be used by teachers, homeschool parents and children that have little to no experience. The language is simple and easy to understand, and uses clear step-by-step instructions.

After using the program the child/student will be able to develop his/her own applications and computer games using Microsoft’s Small Basic Development Environment for Beginners...

The lessons are written in simple language, easy to understand, regardless of your or your child’s level of prior experience...

The program is a great introduction to more complex computer languages (i.e. C++, Java)... If your child is interested in technology, it is also a program a parent can go through with him/her...

Some of the games we made:

Computer Bible Games

The program was well-organized, starting out simple and gradually getting more complex, making it easy to follow and keep up. The theory was explained in clear language, making the world of computer programming reachable to anyone!

The lessons do not just teach the computer language and program design, but also good habits! When the student gets the opportunity to design their own programs, the text explains and encourages important practices to keep, like:

    • keeping notes in your program, making future changes and collaboration with others easier.
    • good planning skills
    • building your program in stages...

I liked the program and how it made something like computer science understandable to my son.

I enjoyed how this program made teaching computer science not just possible, but fun!

 

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Thanks to JannelleN for the review and to Philip Conrod from Kidware Software, for providing the tutorials! To check out one of his Small Basic books, head to  Beginning Microsoft Small Basic tutorial.

  

Small and Basically yours,

   - Ninja Ed