FromĀ A concrete approach to learning how to programĀ
there are good arguments for and against both of these approaches. But my experience has shown me that bottom-up approaches tend to be better for the vast majority of beginners, while only a select few beginners can easily excel at the top-down approach. My hunch is that most of these folks who excel at learning via top-down approaches have some kind of prior experience with programming, or have some natural inclination towards being adept with technology.
I am biased since I started with the bottom-up approach. What is your experience in training developers?