I think it was on topic, and in large part because it wasn't primarily a request for software. The question as I interpreted it was simply, how do you get a child started on a computer. It didn't actually include a request for software, note: it was a request for "Books, methods, or schedule", as well as "how to track their progress". None of those are necessarily software. I chose to include some suggestions organized around software, because I felt that was the best way to explain methods - but I mostly avoided naming specific software, except when it was the easiest way to explain what I mean so I was clear. I also only answered the question in part, because I don't have much experience teaching children [given mine are below keyboard-using age] - I would've hoped another would have that experience.
To me, it didn't matter that it wasn't a parent, although I understand the concern that it wasn't. The question would've been the same if asked by a parent, and we've constantly stretched 'parenting' to include parenting-like activities (and including parent-child relationships from the child's point of view, for example, which I think is much less on-topic than this type of question). Questions about 'how do I deal with my sister's kid who behaves very badly' and such are on topic, for example. My feeling on these questions is that if the activity consists of:
- Acting in loco parentis in some fashion (for example, an aunt who babysits during the workday)
- A skill that is normally associated with parenting (teaching a child good behavior, for example)
- A question that, if you changed the author to a parent of the child, would not be substantively different (this question)
- A child's relationship with his/her parent (this I don't entirely agree with, but it's clearly on topic from what we've allowed/accepted here in the past)
Then they should be on topic here, despite not technically being a question from a parent.