The game of chess is difficult, right? Yet you will find that there are third-graders in about 27 US states that are playing this challenging and highly strategic game. And there are 30 nations around the world that have integrated chess into their school curriculum. Chess is a game of skill but it has also been proven to help children develop critical thinking, learn patience, practice problem solving skills, and so much more.
1Teach the children how to play chess. Remind them that the basic principle is like most games, a set of defined moves for specific pieces and special abilities that are attributed to certain pieces. The basics are simple and even an eight year old can learn how to play well.
- Create the understanding that in the beginning it's not about winning or losing - it is about learning a fun new game.
2Show how chess is about strategy. This game is about depth of knowledge and about predicting opponents' strategies. "Whoever sees further, sees more of the possibilities." You have to be able to see your opponent’s moves and counter them.
- Emphasize the ways in which chess requires you to look at problems in many different ways and choose the best course of action. Remind them that there is more way than one to deal with a problem.
3Ask challenging questions and explain slowly. Make the children think.
4Use chess to build the children's memory capacity. Playing chess makes children remember and think about different moves and patterns, which stimulates connections in the brain. Research has suggested that exercising this capacity improves children's memory and increases their capacity to memorize.
5Play the game often. This challenges them to recall previous games and moves, as well as deliberately using this game to help prepare for future games. Practice like this exercises the children's skills and helps them improve.
6Emphasize the problem solving aspects of chess. With each turn, you have to evaluate a move and how to respond to it. This takes planning, creativity, and critical thinking, and some intuition helps as well.
- Be patient while teaching the game - kids are kids.
- Make it more about fun, a challenge to overcome.
- Individual children may need different styles of instruction - knowing the children will make you a better teacher.
- Create and foster the understanding that even if you look like you are behind - you can make a come back.
- Teach children that there are three ways to play: play to lose, play to win and play to draw. If you cannot win, seek the draw, never give up.
- Never make it personal - it's not only about winning and getting your way.
- As the instructor, play to instruct, not to demean.
- Frustration is a buzz killer, try to avoid it. If the child needs a break - take it to clear the air.
Sources and Citations
- Original version of article from author of Children How to become Rich Successful and "Do Well in School" at http://www.amazon.com/Children-become-Rich-Successful-school/dp/1481258206. Shared with permission.