Kassem wroteYou do not use document.getElementById("whatever") in any other language. He should just stick to Python, he's actually liking it which is good.
i didnt mention DOM manipulation, he doesn't need it.
if he wants to output anything, there's document.write() .
javascript is close to many other languages, u can even write JS using on ur cell phone if ur bored and run it insidethe browser. there are numerous JS debuggers that are very easy to use, firebug, opera dragonfly...
i do not know python so i cannot judge it.