Designed to improve students' thinking, learning, and creative skills while they learn to program a microcomputer in BASIC programing language, this instructional manual for beginning learners provides a brief section of information for each new topic together with a sample program to enter, run on the computer, and observe; a suggested change to clarify the principle being taught, and a challenge requiring use of the new principles. Each chapter includes a review. Procedures for turning the computer on and off are explained, as well as the commands to RUN, PRINT, LIST, HOME, NEW, GOTO, CONT, and END; the syntax error message; line numbers; and the use of commas, semicolons, colons, and the RESET and CONTROL keys. Information on using a disk to save or load programs is provided, including booting the disk, and the commands CATALOG, LOAD, INIT (initializing a disk), SAVE, DELETE, and RENAME. An appendix describes how to save on and load from tape, and a reference list of commands and key functions is provided. Separate color coded project books for elementary, junior high, and high school/adult students are available for this manual. (Author/LMM)