BORT wrote: > So, that said... In ~simplest~ terms for the stated goal -- Forth or > Python? > ...the goal is NOT the spelling tutor... it is learning how to use a > tool to solve a problem. I am asking which tool is more suited to an > otherwise arbitrary direction of "spelling tutor program."
Python is easier to learn that most other popular programming languages. For a games approach, check out this online "book" targeted to kids: http://staff.easthighschool.net/lee/computers/book/ It uses pygame and Lee Harr's pygsear. For another graphical approach, playing around with images and sound files, see the Jython Environment for Students (JES). Jython is python running on top of java's virtual machine. http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-plan/94 http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-plan/27 http://coweb.cc.gatech.edu/mediaComp-plan For text-to-speech, if you are using Windows and python, see the pyTTS module and this link: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~parente/tech/tr02.shtml If you are using jython, see FreeTTS instead: http://freetts.sourceforge.net/docs/index.php But since your son is only 10 years old, I'd really recommend first some non-python development environments that are even more geared to kids: - Lego Mindstorms, which has a graphical programming environment to control robots you build (you connect a flow chart to describe the program instead of having to type and indent everything perfectly). It is targetted specifically for kids his age, but it is a bit expensive. - http://agentsheets.com/ - Very neat java-based authoring tool, but unfortunately costs money too. Trial version only lasts 10 days, but you can learn a lot in that time using this tool. - NetLogo (and the older version StarLogo): http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/ Uses Logo to script hundreds of "turtles" in parallel. This is a free tool. - http://e-slate.cti.gr/ really awesome authoring tool, but hasn't been updated in a couple of years because I guess the funding ran out. -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
