Blog 8: Maybe Teach Them Math, Science and Chess

On Columbus Day, 120 Chicago students sat quietly and intently while participating in a chess tournament. School leaders are hoping that the lessons the children learn playing chess will assist them in the classroom. Susan Polgar, a chess prodigy who led the tournament, believes that chess should be mandatory in school. She says that her “dream is to get in front of education decision makers and convince them to make chess part of the curriculum for K through second grade. That’s when thinking patterns and habits are formed. It should be mandatory, like physical education.” She set up the Susan Polgar Foundation that supports chess playing for boys and girls and sponsors nationwide events. Ms. Polgar believes that “chess teaches discipline, analytical thinking, time management, focus and patience.” These skills are useful throughout life, and in the classroom. Ms. Polgar cites countries like Armenia, where chess is either a mandatory part of school curriculum or strongly encouraged. She also mentions that chess diminishes socioeconomic divides, using the high-poverty students in Brownsville, Texas as an example. After a boost in self-confidence from their chess playing skills, those students beat out their privileged Manhattan rivals.

This is a very interesting idea to enhance student’s education capabilities. Chess is a game of patience, critical thinking, discipline, focus, and time management, all skills needs needed for success in school. Maybe instead of shoving Adderall and Ritalin down young children’s throats, we should try to teach them chess to help their concentration. This method could then pick out the children who do have AD/HD versus those who just get bored in class. Many children who play chess are of an Asian descent, and of those children, many of them also excel in school. This could be a breakthrough in schools all over the world to improve our children’s success in school through lessons they can take with them all through life and into the real world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/us/chess-tournament-in-chicago-teaches-discipline.html?_r=1&ref=education