They say that a programmer is a profession of the future. Is it so? It is possible, but it is impossible to give exact answers to this question. However, many parents from 5-6 years old send their children to programming circles. Indeed, programming for children is very useful, because it develops logic and strategic thinking, and also teaches you to solve big problems gradually. It may seem strange for a child to attend a programming group at an early age, because there are complex calculations, unknown words, etc., but all this is not so. The fact is that languages were invented for teaching children programming. For example, the language is Scratch.
Learn more about Scratch
Scratch was developed by a small group of programmers. The goal was to teach any person the basics of programming. Basically, of course, the use of the Scratch programming language for teaching children was considered.
This language does not use code, but blocks with events. The question may arise: "What kind of programming is it if there is no code there?". The point is precisely the development of logical thinking. The fact is that programming in all languages is, in principle, the same, only the syntax is different. The main thing is to delve into the logical component, and then simply apply the necessary operators so that the computer understands you. Therefore, the development of logical thinking in programming is the basis of everything.
Scratch appeared only in 2006. This language began to be used around the world. It consists of objects, as well as blocks with specific commands. The blocks themselves are divided into 8 types - depending on their team. Each one indicates a particular command, for example, the "turn left" command.
Where to download and how to install?
You can download the program on the official website of the project. There you can see lessons and examples. By the way, this language has very extensive and understandable documentation, which will always help you during the training. It can also be found on the official Scratch programming language website for children.
Download the program and start working. You will see the following window.
Select the location where you want to install Scratch, and click Continue. After that, the installation will begin. After the installation is completed, the program will start automatically.
Scratch looks like this.
As you can see, it is originally in English. If you need Russian or any other language, then you need to click on the circle in the upper left corner, which looks like a globe, and then select the language you need.
The first program in the Scratch programming language
Try to make your first program in this wonderful language. Suppose you want the character (in our case, the Scratch cat) to move each time you press the spacebar. To do this, go to the scripts section and click on the "Events" tab. Use the mouse to select the "When the key is pressed" block and drag it to the right. Everything should turn out as in the picture.
The next step is to go to the "Motion" tab. Select the line "Go 10 steps" and drag to the right, then connect to the first block. It should be as follows:
Are you done? Now click on the green flag and the spacebar. Your cat will move every time you press a key. And it only takes a couple of minutes.
So, there is nothing complicated in creating programs. Absolutely everyone can now enter the world of programming!
conclusions
The Scratch programming language is one of the best languages to enter the programming world. In just a few minutes, you can make your first program and show the results to family and friends.
By the way, even in the programming language Scratch, you can program the Arduino platform and take your first steps in robotics. For example, assemble robots, smart systems and much more. If you want to start programming, but don't know which language to learn first, the answer is simple - Scratch!