I would think the reason to start with programming early would be to learn the logical process of programming. The language isn't important, as long as the language develops the skill. Once the skill is developed, it can transfer to other programming languages fairly readily. Oddly, programming doesn't seem to suffer the same transfer problems that other learning often presents.
* Programming:
* * * Start early. SCRATCH is a great programming language for elementary schools. It can be used to control devices as well. My daughters started Scratch in grade 3. There are a variety of languages out there, but scratch has them beat (in my opinion). There are little ladybugs that are semi-programmable. One can tell them to more forward, back, left, or right a certain number of steps. The bugs can then be made to go through a maze. Not quite the programming we often thing of, but a nice way to work through logical sequences and patterns.
* Tech Skills:
* * * I'd put typing in there. Old school, but helpful. Possibly more helpful now than in decades past when the class was perhaps more common.