TORTIS is a system of special terminals together with software which is designed to provide programming capability and be accesible for use by very young children. The system is designed to add capabilities in small increments so that the child is never overwhelmed by too much to learn at one time, and maintains a feeling of control over the environment. This system facilitates learning of various concepts such as relative size of numbers, frames of reference, procedures, conditionals, and recursion, but more importantly it teaches good problem solving techniques and a healthy approach to learning.