This analogy is not accurate. It is impossible to read without understanding letters; it is not impossible to program without completing simple pre-programming exercises on an iPad.
Other people in this thread are pitching simplified programming exercises as an advantageous performance benefit for children to show them before real programming. This is akin to showing kids simplified reading exercises before reading. I do not believe there is any tangible long term benefit to making kids look at a picture of a dog and choose the letter "D" from a floating letter cloud to complete __OG, and I also do not believe there is any tangible long term benefit to making kids complete simple loop structures on an iPad or in a video game in advance of actually starting to program.
It is not crucial for the development of children for adults to provide them with neutered facsimiles of reality.
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I have no quarrel with the assertion that reading is important. I'm suspicious of the need for pre-reading (letters)
If a child shows great initiative with letters, they'll do well with reading. But why not just start with reading?
Russian children don't start with letters on an IPad. They start later, immediately tackling classic literature.
This analogy is not accurate. It is impossible to read without understanding letters; it is not impossible to program without completing simple pre-programming exercises on an iPad.
Other people in this thread are pitching simplified programming exercises as an advantageous performance benefit for children to show them before real programming. This is akin to showing kids simplified reading exercises before reading. I do not believe there is any tangible long term benefit to making kids look at a picture of a dog and choose the letter "D" from a floating letter cloud to complete __OG, and I also do not believe there is any tangible long term benefit to making kids complete simple loop structures on an iPad or in a video game in advance of actually starting to program.
It is not crucial for the development of children for adults to provide them with neutered facsimiles of reality.