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Ask HN: An advanced Computer Science curriculum for kids stuck at home?

3 pointsby hammerbrostimeabout 5 years ago
My two kids (12 and 15) are newly stuck at home, and I&#x27;m looking at it as a great opportunity to teach them more computer science than they might learn at school. Both have mastered what Scratch has to offer them, and I&#x27;m looking for something more in-depth than what Code.org and Khan Academy have to offer - especially if we might actually be stuck home for a long. In particular, I want them to move beyond the block-oriented programming pedagogy used by Code.org and Scratch.<p>What resources can you recommend that are in-depth and age-appropriate? I&#x27;d be open to college-level textbook recommendations.

7 comments

pdm55about 5 years ago
Small Basic<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;smallbasic-publicwebsite.azurewebsites.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;smallbasic-publicwebsite.azurewebsites.net&#x2F;</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.kidwaresoftware.com&#x2F;computerscienceforkidssmallbasicvisualbasiccsharpjavasecularhomeschoolprogrammingtutorials&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.kidwaresoftware.com&#x2F;computerscienceforkidssmallb...</a><p>html + javascipt<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.freecodecamp.org&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.freecodecamp.org&#x2F;</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.freecodecamp.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;i-completed-the-entire-freecodecamp-curriculum-in-a-month-while-recording-everything&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.freecodecamp.org&#x2F;news&#x2F;i-completed-the-entire-fre...</a>
LarryMade2about 5 years ago
You might try Processing as a language, gives them a platform to experiment with coding with quick audio&#x2F;visual results: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;processing.org&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;processing.org&#x2F;</a><p>Another is give them a old PC or laptop with a blanked HDD and a distro disk&#x2F;usb (or balank medium and instruct them to choose one on distrowatch) and let them a taste of setting up a system.
RNeffabout 5 years ago
Khan Academy has programming classes, including both AP courses. Also look at their Pixar in a Box classes. Free<p>EdX has a bunch of college level CS courses, including several verions of Harvard&#x27;s CS50 courses. Start with Introduction to CS. Free to audit.
artemisynaabout 5 years ago
Depending on what you think your kids would be interested, looking through a few university courses might be a good call.<p>Most top CS schools (Stanford, MIT, CMU) have some sort of online lectures. There&#x27;s also always Udacity&#x2F;edx as well.
verroqabout 5 years ago
<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;cs50.harvard.edu&#x2F;x&#x2F;2020" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;cs50.harvard.edu&#x2F;x&#x2F;2020</a>
surreabout 5 years ago
<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;csunplugged.org&#x2F;en&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;csunplugged.org&#x2F;en&#x2F;</a>
jimmySixDOFabout 5 years ago
well code academy has some program they say is for high school kids at home due to school closures - not sure if it fits but you can look:<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;pro.codecademy.com&#x2F;learn-from-home&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;pro.codecademy.com&#x2F;learn-from-home&#x2F;</a>