Chess has been around for roughly 2,000 years. It may seem daunting and complicated to some, but it's a great game to play with young children. For those unfamiliar with the game, click here for a basic rundown. My niece developed a fondness for it. She learned at school, and her class had little tournaments where they played against teachers and Principle Volpe. They'd win game vouchers and ice cream coupons. She beat the principle a few times, and was ecstatic. She beats me if I don't keep my guard up. We even coaxed my sister and brother to play. It's a great game for a rainy day, or anytime you wish to bond, without turning on the television. Chess is easy to learn, so don't be intimidated. It's also a fun way to instill patience, focus, critical thinking skills, camaraderie, and self-confidence. So, if you're looking for a simple game, with no bells or whistles, and where you can actually converse and have fun, this is the game for you.
As I mentioned earlier, my niece learned to play at school. She starts fifth grade in September, and the intermediate school has a chess club for students. Evidently, incorporating chess in the curriculum is a powerful teaching tool. Studies have shown that properly integrating chess in a mathematics curriculum improved the classes' math scores, and sharpened problem-solving, critical thinking skills, and other associated cognitive functions. Using a chessboard is effective for teaching spatial reasoning, like in geometry, or even probability. Chess can also be quite handy with mathematical word problems, because the game is about learning how to solve problems through logic and deduction, rather than just finding the answers. It allows students to dissect and analyze a situation, and think creatively. Students who struggle in math and reading can also benefit from the game because not only are they developing more complex reasoning skills, they're also boosting their self-confidence.
The lessons of chess go beyond algebra and literacy. Chess can teach a child about making rational decisions, and the consequences of their actions. They learn the value of patience, and concentration. Children who have a tough time focusing in class can learn to harness their energy on a particular task and see it through to the end. Chess can break down socio-economic and gender barriers for students who would otherwise not communicate with each other. It puts everyone on equal footing, especially beginners. Teachers can encourage respect and sportsmanship, and even a sense of community among the students. And these are lessons that carry on into that child's teenage and adult life.
 |
| Courtesy of picturebook.com |
I was pleasantly surprised when Mae (my niece) told me that she loved to play chess. She knew I had a wooden chess set, but I hadn't played in years. So technically, we're both novices. I had to jog my memory of the game, but that was easy enough, and I also became interested in different opening strategies. Mae wanted to learn more about the game, so I would have her focus on a particular chess piece at a time. We would discuss each piece: its name, it's strengths and weaknesses, how it moved, etc. We would make up little stories and plays, or draw pictures and write poems like this one:
I came to a place of many books
to study the rhythms of pawns and rooks.
I slighted the Bishop who veered to the right
and favored instead the quixotic Knight.
My Knight fell at E5 to tempt the King
who takes no notice of chivalrous things.
Trapped in a box the King stays clean
and leaves the bloody business all to the Queen.
Mae's favorite piece is the Queen (no surprise there). She's the most powerful piece on the board. One of our slated projects for the new school year is the Popsicle Stick Puppet Theater, where we use felt, construction paper, and small paper bags, etc. for the puppets, and move them about on popsicle sticks. We might film the play, or have her class perform it. Each play has to do with a specific chess piece, i.e. The Pawn Who Persevered or The Battle of the Bishops. The possibilities are endless. You can host costume parties, yard battles, round-robins, as long as you achieve what you want, and the kids are stimulated and having fun.
You can be just as creative on the home front as well. Do you have elderly parents living with you? Have your children games like chess with their grandparents. Chess may help older people fight dementia and Alzheimer's, but it's also a way to bridge generational gaps. Make it family affair whenever you can. More and more public parks have game tables available outside. And don't think this has to be some expensive endeavor, because that's not true.
Schools around the globe have incorporated chess in their curriculum for decades, and outrank the U.S. in math and science. The dreadful, lopsided state of American public education cannot and will not change unless attitudes dramatically shift, and we stop treating public schools as irritating expenses, and start treating them as vital investments. If your child's school already utilizes chess in the classroom, find out how you can participate. If your school does not have a formal chess program, then you might wish to set up an informal chess club at home, your local public library, or community center. Check your local library for guidebooks and instruction manuals on playing chess. There are also online chess clubs, and some resources for instigating programs for low-income families nationwide that might interest you. I've listed some below. Happy hunting!
No comments:
Post a Comment