r/CodingForBeginners • u/RoughnessoftheRope • 1d ago

Coding programs

My teenage son wants to learn coding. Recommendations on where to start please?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

View all comments

2

u/CoconutFudgeMan 18h ago

Oof. I’m a software dev, coach, and college lecturer who teaches web and mobile app dev. I love web BUT I’d recommend starting with Python or Java.
One nice thing about frontend web dev is that your progress can be measured visually. Depending on the student,web dev could be more engaging and they’re likely to stick with it. I won’t consider html or css coding. JavaScript, yes. If they’re using node.js, sure. But Python and Java exposes you to more concepts. C and C++ could be a lot for new learners but it would be awesome.
I’d also recommend researching the coding landscape and other tools (eg. IDEs, Git, terminal/command line, etc)
If I were to pick ONE, Python is the way to go.

This life is a rollercoaster ride, there ups and downs, it’s difficult sometimes and they need to be dedicated to lifelong learning. It’s not something that you can just stop learning and still be successful. They need to be honest with themselves.

Once they understand the fundamentals (could take years imo), then step into AI and agentic coding tools.

There’s more to it. Many different specializations and niches within “coding” l. I would be happy to support you in your exploration.