Learning programming w\ Arduino. Where to start?

fully half of knowledge is ability.

reading words without doing is only gaining facts.

using the parts and making things results in practical knowledge.

many schools use robots as the medium to teach. present a goal, offer tools, let the individual apply the knowledge. soon enough they find the places they did not understand.

I would ask, what have you attempted to make, but failed ? that is were your need to seek more knowledge.