My 12yr old Nephew is keen on learning a computer or IT skill. He is proficient in Microsoft word and has basic computer skills(using the keyboard etc). I need advice on which other computer programme he should start with. I was thinking Programming but I don't know if its a proper foundation for a 12yr old. Your ardent advice needed urgently.

a twelve year old... maybe he should start with qbasic.

Let him learn corel draw and photoshop. Then he can try his hands on html.

Buy him books on java,python,c++
,vb.net
download the necessary compilers for him. Leave him with them and see how his interest goes.
For phone programming, books on android,objective-c will do.
Ideally, he shud hav internet access to help his curiosity but it mayb distractg.
Many ppl who strted programmg young/ver young were driven by curiosity and child like fascination
(which is very strong) and d fascination/curiousity propelled them (on to greatness).
Buy him a laptop if u can too.

I hope you would not mind if soon he says he is no longer going to school

youngestpr: I hope you would not mind if soon he says he is no longer going to school

And why should this be Would learning programming languages deter him him from furthering his education?

Bill Gates wrote his first program at the age of 13.

Get him a cheap laptop/netbook. Put Linux or FreeBSD on it. Introduce him to simple bash scripts and javascript. He can easily create some JavaScript within a simple html page on his desktop, then point the browser to load that page.

He should look online, on his own, how to solve problems.

In summary Proficiency with programming is not really something that can be taught in a short period of time; he's got to immerse himself into programming for a few years, to become good at it, just as you would a human language.

Briareos: Bill Gates wrote his first program at the age of 13.

serious

What your Nephew needs is a mentor not just put in a computer class, since he so desire to be computer geek at that age. Bill Gate or Mark Zurkaberg have their own mentor too at such tender age and they are successfull. In my my shop i mentor a Boy since he was in JSS3, now he can use PHP/MySQL, HTML, CSS and JQuery he (currently)did actually design a Social Network website from scratch.

What i can say to the boy progress is that he has desire for computer and he get someone to mentor him hile paying notting to acqiure knowlede. In case of your Newphew dont Just send him to computer school get him a mentor and buy him a good laptop you can afford.

chux76:

And why should this be Would learning programming languages deter him him from furthering his education?

Well, I am not saying it will deter him it depends on the level he gets to. The likes of some people rose to a level that they felt still going to school is not worth it.

Another good way to encourage his interest might be a robotic kit, or a small programmable board like Arduino that could be used to (for instance) turn on a buzzer or LEDs when a switch is pressed. The programs tend to be short, relatively simple, and encourage tinkering.

I wouldn't worry about him losing interest in pursuing higher education; very very few people do that. On the other hand, being able to program in 2014 is, in my view, as important and fundamental as knowing how to do math was in 1914, and will be essential in university in coming years.