Our TeenCoder Series is designed for 9th-12th grade high-school students and can be considered college-prep or technical electives. The curriculum can be completed by self-study if the student can handle that type of activity.

Our KidCoder Series is geared for 4th-8th grade students who have an interest in computer programming. These courses are lighter, easier and are great for elementary and middle-school students.

However, no one knows a child’s abilities like their parents. A highly motivated pre-teen could probably complete a TeenCoder course with a little more time or assistance. Or, your teenager may be happier with the lighter courses from the KidCoder Series.

KidCoder and TeenCoder teach different programming languages, so one student may productively work their way through both series. KidCoder is an easier sequence, so begin with those products. There is some overlap between the series, as each will teach computer programming "from the ground up". So students that have already taken KidCoder will find some aspects of TeenCoder very familiar, and can progress quickly through those sections. However TeenCoder will also treat subjects in more depth and cover a somewhat different mix of topics, including object-oriented programming. The TeenCoder: Game Programming course includes the XNA Game Studio for more powerful gaming-writing capabilities, including the possibility of writing games for the Xbox 360!

Our courses assume the student is already familiar with using a keyboard and mouse to select and run programs, navigate application menu systems, and interact with the Windows operating system. Students should understand how to store and retrieve files on the hard disk and how to use Windows Explorer to navigate a file system and directory structures. It is helpful to also have some familiarity with text editors and using web browsers to find helpful information on the Internet. We teach students how to program a computer from the ground up, but they should already know the basics about using one!

You do not need to purchase any additional 3rd party software; you only pay for our course material!

Students will download a free software package from Microsoft for their development environment. Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express is offered for free to students and is ideal for beginning programmers. The course will walk the student through the download and installation process in a clear, step-by-step manner. After the initial download the student can complete the course entirely on their own computer; additional Internet access is optional (though many useful programming resources are available online).

In order to run Visual Studio 2010 Express your student should have access to a computer that has the following minimum requirements:

• A CPU of at least 1.6Ghz
• At least 1024MB of RAM
• A display monitor with 1024 x 768 or higher resolution
• A graphics card supporting DirectX-10 or later
• A 5400+ RPM hard drive with 3GB or more free space
• A DVD-ROM Drive

Supported Operating Systems:

• Windows XP + SP3 or above (except Starter Edition)
• Windows Vista + SP2 or above (except Starter Edition)
• Windows 7 (all versions)

You will need an Internet connection at least during the initial Visual Studio download and installation process.

The main software your student will install is Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express (C# or Visual Basic). This software will work on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit). Please see the supported operating systems list for more details!

Students will download and install one of the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express software packages during an early lesson. Full step-by-step instructions are provided, and this is the only time your student is required to be connected to the Internet. The download is free! Microsoft provides these powerful software programs at no charge. They do require that you register the software within a few weeks of initial install, and that registration does require an email address (though you can create a temporary address just for this purchase).

Please review these registration instructions on our Visual Studio Update Page if you are having any trouble!

For best results when registering, make sure Internet Explorer is set to your default web browser (this can be a temporary setting).

These courses do NOT involve any online subscriptions or other time limits. Once you receive the course materials, you may complete the course at your own pace on your own computer!

Our general recommendation is to plan for each title to consume approximately one semester, or a pair of courses bundled together in a Year Pack to consume approximately one school year. We expect students to spend 2-4 hours per week in a hands-on technical elective, though some students may progress faster or slower.

Please see the "Licensing and Multiple Students" section on our Conditions of Use page for licensing details on multiple siblings, unrelated students, and larger classroom environments!

Yes, Homeschool Programming, Inc. will accept Purchase Orders from public and private school organizations as well as recognized homeschooling groups! Please email us prior to placing your first PO to establish the account.

We recommend you establish an account as an individual customer, place all products into your shopping cart, and complete all purchase screens until you obtain the final cost (including shipping). You may want to print this screen with all order details to include in your PO. Alternatively, please contact us in advance to request a quote on your desired products and quantities that includes shippping!

You can fax or mail the PO to us at:

(866) 332-8005 (fax)

OR:

Homeschool Programming, Inc.
980 Birmingham Rd, Suite 501-128
Alpharetta, GA 30004

Most of the coursework is done offline, on the student's own computer, so a permanent Internet connection is not required to complete the course. However, be aware that you will need to download a large software package from Microsoft (your Visual Studio development environment) at the beginning of the course. Please refer to the Visual Basic or Visual C# download and install instructions for details! Secondarily, the Visual Studio Help Library (MSDN) is most conveniently accessed with an online configuration instead of downloading a very large set of additional help files to the local computer.

You may wish to walk through our documented Visual Studio 2010 Express procedures prior to purchasing the course if there are any questions about your ability to complete the download and install the software on your computer! Once you complete the initial software download, then the student's computer may be disconnected from the Internet unless you would like to use the online MSDN Help Library.

Most of the coursework is done offline, on the student's own computer, so dial-up Internet connections are not a long-term problem. However, please carefully read the previous FAQ entry regarding the initial download and install requirements of the Microsoft Visual Studio software and optional MSDN Help library. At the beginning of the course a one-time substantial download procedure must be completed to install free software on the student's computer. If you have any doubts regarding your dial-up connection's capability to perform these tasks, please read and complete the Visual Basic or Visual C# download and install instructions for your course prior to purchase!

Your course will will contain a number of files ending in the .PDF extension. These course documents are in a common, portable format established by Adobe. You can view and print the documents using the Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download here. Once you install the Acrobat Reader your computer system will launch the reader whenever you try to open a PDF document.

You will also receive other directories and files containing programming projects. These projects contain sample code and activity solutions as shown in your Student Textbook and Solution Guide. The files will typically end with extensions like *.sln, .vbproj, *.vb, *.csproj, or *.cs depending on the course. You will use the Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express software to load, view, and edit these files. Detailed instructions for installing Visual Studio and managing the project files are contained in an early chapter of your Student Textbook. If you wish to view the source code files in advance of installing Visual Studio, they are actually text files that you can load into any text editor (e.g. Notepad).

Our courses use the Microsoft Visual Studio environment, and the graphical portions are specific to Windows technology. Please see What does my student need to start this course? (above) for specific computer hardware and operating system requirements.

We welcome your feedback indicating Mac interest and may incorporate Mac support into future plans with enough demand.

Some customers may run the Visual Studio development environment on a Mac computer within an emulator allowing Windows programs to function. We have not tested this solution and cannot provide support for any issues arising from the platform.

Our courses are designed to teach a student through both textbook instruction and hands-on application. Courses are largely self-study; students may pace themselves as desired. Complete teacher's materials are provided (tests, answer keys, fully coded solutions, etc) to assist students as needed.

Students will read the lessons in each chapter and then demonstrate the concepts by writing programs on their computer. Students are encouraged to explore and be creative while completing the activity requirements. Chapter tests may be administered and graded from the teacher's materials.

Each course is roughly one semester in duration. There are about 12–17 chapters in each Student Textbook with approximately three lessons each chapter. You may expect the student to spend two - four hours per week on the material to finish in one semester, though some may finish faster or slower depending on individual situations.

Students building credit-based transcripts should receive credit for each course appropriate for a one-semester technical elective with hands-on lab. Specific credit assignment is best determined by the teacher in consideration of the overall student environment.

Our TeenCoder: Windows / Game Programming courses will be taught using the C# language. This language is Microsoft's most modern object-oriented language widely used in academia and the IT industry. When paired with the XNA Game Studio, your C# students gain built-in support for game programming, including the ability to easily create your own XBox games!

All our KidCoder: Windows / Game Programming courses are taught using the Visual Basic language. This is a frequently used industry-standard language that is very easy to learn. We know that the younger students want to see their programs on the screen quickly, and Visual Basic allows them to create real Windows programs very easily!

If you do not already have a background in programming or computers, you may be wondering how to evaluate your student’s progress. But don’t worry! Our courses are designed for homeschoolers and their teachers. The Solution Guide included with each course has easy-to-understand activity solutions, tests, and answer keys. We give grading guidelines for evaluating student activities that non-programming teachers can follow.

Please our Help/Support area to get assistance. The quickest and easiest way to receive technical support and answers to pre-sales questions is through our online form which comes directly to us. You are also welcome to call our office if desired.

Second Edition Courses:
The optional 2nd Edition instructional videos are in Flash format and can be played directly on your student's computer. A simple HTML-based menu system will allow you to select and play videos in your web browser of choice (must be Flash-enabled). Replay happens directly from the DVD and is not streamed from any online source.

First Edition Courses:
Some courses contain instructional videos ("Screencasts") - see product descriptions for details. These videos are AVI files located on the Student or Teacher Disc. You can play the AVI files right on your computer using any standard software that understands that format. Our product Discs also include a free player called "CamPlayer". When selecting a video from the course menu provided on each Disc, CamPlayer will be used to display the video.

We are hard at work creating new courses for you and your student! Please check back soon to see our exciting new offerings. If there is a particular topic of interest you would like to see, please email our sales department.

Please see the Shipping Info page for information about your shipping options.

We strongly encourage you to review the sample pages and other pre-requisites listed in this FAQ prior to your purchase, to ensure that the course you choose is a good for your student. For printed Textbook Kits we offer a return policy within 10 days of your receipt of the course for a 20% restocking fee. The course material must be in mint condition suitable for resale, meaning: the textbook must be unmarred and "like new", the Course CD must be still bound (unopened) in the back of the textbook and optional Instructional Video DVDs must still be unopened (shrink-wrapped).

We are unable to offer refunds on any electronically-delivered or downloaded product.

Homeschool Programming, Inc. is a Georgia corporation. As such, we are required by Georgia law to charge Georgia residents sales tax on merchandise delivered within the state. Customers outside Georgia are responsible for complying with their own state laws, if any, regarding Internet purchases.