What could be the best way to introduce the world of computers to a kid, let’s say of 6 years old, so that he learns to handle it like a toy and stops dreading it like some esoteric, arcane and recondite machine from some eldritch, enigmatic, cryptic and phantasmal world ?
For me it was games on a computer. Learned how to use the keyboard, mouse, and later troubleshoot shit that was not working because I really wanted to play a game.
It’s small things like “oh I can take a screenshot, hmm where does the screenshot go?” and that’s how you learn to navigate files and folders etc.
Great description
Thanks! This was actually a great question too, because I hadn’t really thought about how I gradually learned to use a computer.
Is there such a thing as a kid that dreads playing games on a computer?
Definitely videogames
Yeah, get him an old console with a donkey kong cartridge or something to boot.
Nah, it must be a PC, with broken audio socket on the motherboard, PCI soundcard with no drivers as a replacement, an IDE CD drive, only SATA sockets on the motherboard, and a stack of CDs with hundreds of DOS games on each. Plus $10 to buy an IDE-to-SATA adapter.
watching parent play videogames, touching screen to make effects, being asked to play using one part of the controls (like “you control movement, i look around. now lets switch”) asking how they’d make all caps letters after showing them how the shift key works
I started with a VIC-20 at twice that age. In the 80s computers were viewed as somewhat magical, a bit scary. Took a 2-week summer camp on programming BASIC and two things they told us made me feel way better.
You can’t physically destroy the computer typing at the keyboard. I took that to mean no matter how badly I screwed up, the problem could be unscrewed.
It’s a dumb machine, no brains, period. That means you are in control of it. Some people could use that lesson today. 🫤
@shalafi@lemmy.world the computer made appearance in my place in the 90s.
Games have hooked a lot of people.
Maybe try a progression over time, like:
- approachable games, to pique initial interest
- games with building/construction/puzzle mechanics, to get the kid using the computer like a tool
- text adventure games, to get them using the computer to work with things they can’t see
- games with programming mechanics, to teach them to take control of the computer, modifying its behavior to suit them
In the latter category, this one looks promising:
6? Go play and live doing fun things.
Computers/video games/tablets/tv that all can wait.
Yeah, the last thing you need to do is push a kid to use computers. They’ll learn fast once they take an interest. And, they’ll develop other important skills in the mean time.
I’m ancient, but I learned both to use the computer and English when I started gaming on the family Amiga at around age 6. My fondest memories were of adventure games like King’s Quest and Space Quest, which incidentally required decent command of English.
There’s tons of more modern and kid-friendly adventure games out there nowadays, but the principle stands.
One of my friends in colombia learned english the same way. Playing video games with a dictionary by his side and lots of pausing was how he described it to me. IMHO the best way to learn a language is doing something you love.
I’m ancient,
Amiga at around age 6.
lol
You’re not ancient, friend.
oregon trail
