Programming age 8-12:

Kids can sharpen their minds
 and learn logic.  They can learn by doing.
They can have a blast creating drawings and animations.

Kids as young as second grade can
 put together a computerized board game.

And you can do it too!

From: Phyllis Wheeler, the Computer Lady from Motherboard Books  
Dear Friends,

There's plenty of information out there on how to program.  But little of it is aimed just at teaching real skills to kids as young as 8 years old.

Kids now have the opportunity to learn how computers think, using this homeschool computer course.  

And you, working alongside, can learn it too! 

(If your child can work independently, he can do it on his own.)

I am a veteran homeschooling mom who has helped many kids build a solid foundation of computer knowledge.  I can help yours too.

Are you worried that your youngsters could eventually fall behind?

Why not give them a boost that puts them AHEAD of their counterparts in schools?

So, where does your youngster get a good foundation?

• At your school if it's offered
• At home, using our computer programming for kids curriculum, Logo Adventures. 

Logo Adventures leads into my Computer Science Pure and Simple curriculum. It's an answer to a request from many homeschoolers for something fun for their younger children.

Both Logo Adventures and Computer Science Pure and Simple use MicroWorlds Logo software, which was developed just for kids at MIT.

Logo is a computer language designed
to teach kids reasoning skills.

It gives kids feedback that delights them.  

The kids command a tiny robot turtle carrying a pen and a bucket. They tell it where to go on the page, giving commands like "forward 50"   (go forward 50 turtle steps).  The turtle draws lines as commanded and dumps colors.  For animations, the turtle assumes a variety of shapes. 

Not only is Logo great for teaching reasoning to young kids, but it has all the bells and whistles of a robust programming language, including parallel processing. So it's a natural for teaching game programming.  Skills learned on it transfer easily to other languages.  In fact there are many computer professionals out there who got started by learning Logo.  To find one, just ask around! My curriculum uses Logo as formulated in MicroWorlds software.

Logo Adventures is planned for learning

 once a week for one hour.

Here's what's in Logo Adventures:

13 drawing lessons covering:

• Simple lines and squares
• Stop signs and E's
• Clocks,
• Tessellations:  figures that fit together like floor tiles
• Drawings and collages too. 

13 animations lessons covering:

• A silly story about a giant scared by a small person
• A simple board game, "Yellow Brick Road"
• A crowded park scene
• A bouncing ball that draws a clown face
• An animated birthday card, full of shooting stars

 There is also a troubleshooting appendix and an answer key.See the Table of Contents.See a sample chapter.

See student work from Logo Adventures!

You can look at our Gallery of Greats--great student projects. Be sure to come back!  Click here.

How do we make these games? 
Here's some code from an animation:

setsh [skater1 skater2 skater3]

seth 90 repeat 100 [fd 1 wait .01]

The second component of the Logo Adventures curriculum is the disk for MicroWorlds.  This is provided by a Canadian company, LCSI, that worked closely with Logo's creators at MIT, and even now sells to top-quality schools around the world.

• MicroWorlds 2.0 works on PC through Windows XP.
• MicroWorlds EX works on Windows XP and Vista, also on Macintosh OS X and  higher.

What about tech support?

• I have tutorials to get you started (click here for my Product Support page).
• Check the appendix on troubleshooting in the back of the book.
• Look at my FAQ on the Product Support Page.

If all that fails, email me with your question at

I told you I had been in the same position as you, worried that my kids would fall behind in computer skills. I was homeschooling and teaching in a homeschool coop.

But I had something to offer in this field! I am a mechanical engineer who has taken a number of programming courses over the years. I worked as a programmer one summer in college. I decided to offer a computer course at our co-op for grades 5 and up, since I had the skills.  (I am also a writer, and that helps too!)

The first thing I did was look for a computer curriculum to use. Homeschoolers these days can find curriculum on all kinds of great subjects. But there wasn't one! I would have to invent one!  Since I had to go to all the trouble to figure out what to teach, I decided to record what we were doing and share it with others who might also be stuck looking for the same thing.

I found assistance through the co-op from several computer professionals. These professionals contributed to my computer class that became Computer Science Pure and Simple Book 1:

• Virginia Sparks, BS in Computer Science
• Laura Breidenbach, professional Web site developer

But where to start?  I chose to start with the Logo computer language, because my daughter had worked with it in school and had loved it.

Logo programming isn't dry mathematical code.
It's personalized instruction to the turtle. Kids love it.

I already had a Logo-based manuscript by Don Sleeth, a Canadian programmer, and permission to modify it.

Over the course of the year we knit all this together to teach the class, which met once a week for an hour and a quarter, with homework. I recorded what we were doing as a set of self-study lessons with answer key.  In class we tested the lessons and made some modifications based on what worked and what didn't. 

The following year, I took the same classes forward, and we learned a lot more programming, Web site construction, and spreadsheets. That year of study became Book 2.

In 2005-2006 I again taught a co-op computer class--this time to kids aged 8 through 12. The result is Logo Adventures.

What are people saying?

Christine Michaud, a military wife (Seoul, Korea, and Washington, DC) and homeschool mom: We LOVE Logo (Adventures)... it has been a wonderful part of our homeschooling. I have been spreading the word among my homeschool friends, too, because it is an area where there is a need for 'curriculum' and most of us are not equipped to teach these skills.

 

Meredith Duke of Austin, TX, reviewing Logo Adventures at Heaven Bound: ...Seeing such determination and passion in my son, I was determined to get him started in the right direction so that he can start his programming career.  You know how we homeschooling moms are!  I did a lot of research and found the best fit for our needs:  Motherboard Books.   There are a few options to choose from, but since my son was 9 (about to be 10 at the time), I wanted to start him on something that he could do on his own (well, mostly on his own).  We started with the program:  Logo Adventures.  It’s designed for children between the ages of 8 and 12 and it uses an MIT software program called MicroWorlds.  Phyllis Wheeler, the mama behind Motherboard Books, has done a tremendous job of breaking down the concepts of programming into steps that are easy to follow and understand.  I program in Lotus Notes for my work and it’s difficult sometimes for me to understand what I’m doing.  However, with MicroWorlds and Phyllis’ instructions, it’s a joy!!  My son really enjoys programming.  He’s been learning how to draw shapes, move the “turtle” forward and backward, turn him around using angles and position him differently on the page.  If your child is interested in learning how to program then Logo Adventures is a great place to start.  I would highly recommend it for your child.  It’s definitely been a winning experience for my son (who plans to start his own gaming company that he’ll pass down to his children and grandchildren).  Those are his dreams and ambitions!  Who am I to stand in his way?  Check out Motherboard Books.  You won’t be disappointed!  In summary: *    Logo Adventures, programming for children 8-12 *    Cost:  $89.98 for MicroWorlds 2.0(unless you have Windows Vista or a newer Macintosh, then you have to purchase MicroWorlds EX and it costs $128.99). *    Very understandable and easy to follow *    Self-paced program *    Uses MIT-created software *    Overall:

 

Robin Khoury, reviewing Logo Adventures at HelpForHomeschoolMoms.com: I am horrible at math and generally steer clear of anything that has to do with numbers and sequences and stuff like that. But I had a ball doing lesson one of Logo Adventures with Zach (age 9). I am going to keep going just for fun! I highly recommend Logo Adventures by Phyllis Wheeler of Motherboard Books.

 

Check out the blog of Keri in Florida, whose son is using Logo Adventures!

 

Nora Huggins of Indialantic, Florida: My son has so enjoyed Logo Adventures. I cannot get him to stop on most days. He is eating it up with much success. I love the fact that he can do this on his own since he is 11 years old. Thanks again for making learning fun!

 

Debbie of Wilmington, Delaware: We are using both Computer Science Pure and Simple and Logo Adventures . Both my children love them! Thank you for the great books and all that you do.

 

Ellliott Robinson, age 17, reviewer for www.HomeschoolChristian.com: Geared towards younger children, Logo Adventures is the perfect way to get your eight- to twelve-year-old into the world of programming. Easy-to-read text, fun programs, and lots of review make this a great curriculum. Read the full review.

 

Tracy Quebral of Amherst, NY: "My son truly loved your curriculum, and honestly, it is his favorite subject by far! Something tells me we'll have to upgrade our computer before too long if he keeps it up! LOL I want to THANK YOU for taking the time to write these wonderful books! I have and will continue to recommend your wonderful program to homeschoolers, because it’s fantastic! "

 

Jeanette H.:  "About a month ago I was praying for something new and exciting for my fifth grader who is homeschooling for the first time this year.  I was struggling to make "school" fun so as to ease the transition from his previous school.  I wanted him to feel like we have neat things "happening" here too.  Seriously, in a dream I recalled my college Logo programming experiences and I woke up wondering, "Whatever happened to the Logo language?  Kids would love Logo."  (The only time I had ever seen it used was while student teaching in a school in England .)  "...Now that we own Microworlds and your easy-to-read and follow lessons, I think I have found the answer to my prayers.  It is really a blessing as my son is so quick with electronics, as most children are, but has always struggled in school.  We do not own or encourage video games so it is great to hear him saying, "Well now I can write my own, Mom!"

 

From  Homeschooling from the Heart:  "From the very first lesson, we found this program to be well organized and easy-to-understand. ...  My (12-year-old) son was able to work through the lessons with very little help from me.  ...  My son completed several lessons in one week.  ... My son LOVED learning Logo!  In fact, even if he didn't do any of the other lessons in the book, the exposure to MicroWorlds and the Logo language makes this book worth the price.  ... "I can't say enough about the MicroWorlds component - if your child is even remotely interested in programming/video games, this is the best way to give them a feel for what it is like to develop their own programs.  The lessons for all of the topics are presented so well that most students can work through the course independently.  I eagerly look forward to reviewing future products from Motherboard Books!"-- Cindy Prechtel, Editor, Homeschool Reviews for You (from HomeschoolingFromTheHeart.com )

 

From Eclectic Homeschool Online:    " Computer Science Pure and Simple for Homeschoolers is an excellent introduction to three of the most common ways that people interact with computers: office skills, computer programming, and website design... Computer Science Pure and Simple for Homeschoolers gets kids working immediately taking what they read and applying it. The instructional detail is just right, not over explaining and thereby confusing, nor skipping steps that may be intuitive to more experienced computer users.”-- Beverly  Krueger   for Eclectic Homeschool Online, a not-for-profit online magazine for homeschoolers ( http://eho.org ).

 

From Practical Homeschooling Magazine 's Issue Number 61 Fall/Winter 2004. "...A decent introduction to how to use some of the applications on your computer, what programming is and how to design a web page, making it worthy of your consideration. ... The choice of MicroWorlds Logo programming is a good one.  These sections will guide you through the basic steps of starting to program and give you a good basis for understanding what programming is."-- Theresa M. Schultz-Jones

 

30-day Money-Back Guarantee! You may return the book and disk for up to 30 days for a full refund  if you are dissatisfied.  -- (Email before 30 days are up for your authorization.)

 

Logo Adventures Curriculum consists of a book and disk.

 

 

The price for the Logo Adventures MicroWorlds 2.0 curriculum is $89.98.

The price for the Logo Adventures MicroWorlds EX curriculum is $39 more.

Buy Logo Adventures, as a package or separately!

 

God bless you!

Sincerely,

 

 

P.S.  It's never to late to get started on understanding what makes your computer work!

P.P.S. Aren't you curious how it works?

P.P.P.S. If you're looking for a course teaching how to make a Web page to your child aged 8-12, take a look at my new ebook Let's Make a Web Page.

 

Site copyright 2003-

MotherboardBooks.com
PO Box 430041
St.  Louis, MO 63143
phone toll-free 877-366-2122
email

Pure & Simple 12 & up | Logo Adventures 8-12 | WebSite ABC's 15 & up|
Let's Make a Web Page 8-15 | Audio Products
Support | Gallery | Affiliates | Articles | Blog | Links | Site Map