#In an ideal teaching language

If the language directly supports them then the order to teach looping constructs seems simple.

• Infinite loop: forever.
• Simple finite (bounded) loop: repeat n times.
• Bounded loops: for i in list or for i = 1...6 (I am not sure which order these two should be in).
• Simple unbounded: while condition
• Complex loops: all the rest.

However often the teaching language does not directly support these. This may be an argument for choosing a different language for teaching programming.

#The problems that I am having

(I am teaching in Python).
I was teaching in the order I outlined for an ideal language, but are getting problems.

For an infinite loop we use while True in Python, however students ask or struggle with this. I can not explain it without explaining while condition. So pupils have to hold something that they do not understand in their head.

Similar for repeat n times in Python it is for n in range(5):, this is a lot to keep in ones head without understanding.

#The question

So the question is “what to do?”. Do we start with

• Bounded loops: for i in list:
• Bounded loops: for i in range(n):
• Simple unbounded: while condition:

Or do we do it some other way?

In an ideal teaching language

If the language directly supports them then the order to teach looping constructs seems simple.

• Infinite loop: forever.
• Simple finite (bounded) loop: repeat n times.
• Bounded loops: for i in list or for i = 1...6 (I am not sure which order these two should be in).
• Simple unbounded: while condition
• Complex loops: all the rest.

However often the teaching language does not directly support these. This may be an argument for choosing a different language for teaching programming.

The problems that I am having

(I am teaching in Python).
I was teaching in the order I outlined for an ideal language, but are getting problems.

For an infinite loop we use while True in Python, however students ask or struggle with this. I can not explain it without explaining while condition. So pupils have to hold something that they do not understand in their head.

Similar for repeat n times in Python it is for n in range(5):, this is a lot to keep in ones head without understanding.

The question

So the question is “what to do?”. Do we start with

• Bounded loops: for i in list:
• Bounded loops: for i in range(n):
• Simple unbounded: while condition:

Or do we do it some other way?

#In an ideal teaching language

If the language directly supports them then the order to teach looping constructs seems simple.

• Infinite loop: forever.
• Simple finite (bounded) loop: repeat n times.
• Bounded loops: for i in list or for i = 1...6 (I am not sure which order these two should be in).
• Simple unbounded: while condition
• Complex loops: all the rest.

However often the teaching language does not directly support these. This may be an argument for choosing a different language for teaching programming.

#The problems that I am having

I was teaching in the order I outlined for an ideal language, but are getting problems. ( I am teaching in python).

For an infinite loop we use while True in python, however students ask or struggle with this. I can not explain it without explaining while condition. So pupils have to hold something that they do not understand in their head.

Similar for repeat n times in python it is for n in range(5):, this is a lot to keep in ones head without understanding.

#The question

So the question is “what to do?”. Do we start with

• Bounded loops: for i in list:
• Bounded loops: for i in range(n):
• Simple unbounded: while condition:

Or do we do it some other way?

#In an ideal teaching language

If the language directly supports them then the order to teach looping constructs seems simple.

• Infinite loop: forever.
• Simple finite (bounded) loop: repeat n times.
• Bounded loops: for i in list or for i = 1...6 (I am not sure which order these two should be in).
• Simple unbounded: while condition
• Complex loops: all the rest.

However often the teaching language does not directly support these. This may be an argument for choosing a different language for teaching programming.

#The problems that I am having

(I am teaching in Python).
I was teaching in the order I outlined for an ideal language, but are getting problems.

For an infinite loop we use while True in Python, however students ask or struggle with this. I can not explain it without explaining while condition. So pupils have to hold something that they do not understand in their head.

Similar for repeat n times in Python it is for n in range(5):, this is a lot to keep in ones head without understanding.

#The question

So the question is “what to do?”. Do we start with

• Bounded loops: for i in list:
• Bounded loops: for i in range(n):
• Simple unbounded: while condition:

Or do we do it some other way?

#In an ideal teaching language

If the language directly supports them then the order to teach looping constructs seems simple.

• Infinite loop: forever.
• Simple finite (bounded) loop: repeat n times.
• Bounded loops: for i in list or for i = 1...6 (I am not sure which order these two should be in).
• Simple unbounded: while condition
• Complex loops: all the rest.

However often the teaching language does not directly support these. This may be an argument for choosing a different language for teaching programming.

#The problems that I am having

I was teaching in the order I outlined for an ideal language, but are getting problems.

For an infinite loop we teach while True, however students ask or struggle with this. I can not explain it without explaining while condition. So pupils have to hold something that they do not understand in their head.

Similar for repeat n times in python it is for n in range(5):, this is a lot to keep in ones head without understanding.

#The question

So the question is “what to do?”. Do we start with

• Bounded loops: for i in list:
• Bounded loops: for i in range(n):
• Simple unbounded: while condition:

Or do we do it some other way?

#In an ideal teaching language

If the language directly supports them then the order to teach looping constructs seems simple.

• Infinite loop: forever.
• Simple finite (bounded) loop: repeat n times.
• Bounded loops: for i in list or for i = 1...6 (I am not sure which order these two should be in).
• Simple unbounded: while condition
• Complex loops: all the rest.

However often the teaching language does not directly support these. This may be an argument for choosing a different language for teaching programming.

#The problems that I am having

I was teaching in the order I outlined for an ideal language, but are getting problems. ( I am teaching in python).

For an infinite loop we use while True in python, however students ask or struggle with this. I can not explain it without explaining while condition. So pupils have to hold something that they do not understand in their head.

Similar for repeat n times in python it is for n in range(5):, this is a lot to keep in ones head without understanding.

#The question

So the question is “what to do?”. Do we start with

• Bounded loops: for i in list:
• Bounded loops: for i in range(n):
• Simple unbounded: while condition:

Or do we do it some other way?