The Many Benefits of Students Playing Chess
Links from the Episode
Why Chess Should be Taught in Schools
Transcript
Melissa Milner 0:09
In this minisode, I take a break from The Teacher As Filmmaker focus, to share about some things happening in my classroom. This minisode will be about the benefits of students playing chess and the next minisode in a couple of weeks will be about the use of logic puzzles in the classroom. We've been doing both in Room 20 and the students are loving it. And we're seeing some real impact from doing this work. So let me go back a little bit. After watching the Queen's Gambit some time ago, I bought a few chess sets for indoor recess and or math center time. I bought kid friendly books about how to play chess, etc. I even did a podcast episode about it. Episode 28, The Teacher As Strategist.
Melissa Milner 0:51
Every year, we have four to six students who either already know how to play chess, or want to learn and they get better as the year goes on. I've always wondered about the rest of the class. Could time be found to teach the whole class about the basic rules of chess and some of the beginning strategies? Students who know how to play could certainly teach it to the others. However, with a rigorous math curriculum that has its own centers and activities, what is the justification for finding the time to teach all students how to play chess? Well, as usual, I dove down the rabbit hole doing research about this topic, the best two articles I found, were on a website called chessandfootball.com. And I'm going to share some highlights from two of their articles. The first article, "Why Should Kids Play Chess?" and the second article, "Why Chess Should be Taught in Schools." Now, what I found was that the "Why Chess Should be Taught in Schools?" actually gave the overview that I needed for this episode. And then "Why Should Kids Play Chess" broke it down into more specifics. So I'll share again some highlights from all that, but I'm going to start with the reasons why chess should be taught in school since that was sort of my goal is to find the justification in this.
Melissa Milner 2:11
So the first reason in this article is to enhance critical thinking and problem solving skills. This one's pretty obvious. And it says, "Chess is a game that demands strategic thinking, analytical skills, and problem solving abilities. By incorporating chess into school programs, educators provide students with a structured environment to develop these cognitive skills. Through analyzing positions, planning moves, and finding optimal solutions, students strengthen their critical thinking abilities, which can positively impact their performance in various academic subjects." So again, not just about playing chess. Number two, chess teaches essential life skills. Now this one, you could say this about many games, and many team sports, but it's basically talking about "From strategic planning to time management and decision making, chess offers a practical framework for acquiring these life skills. By introducing chess in schools, educators equip students with tools to approach challenges thoughtfully, make informed decisions and manage their time effectively." Number three, it's good for concentration and focus, which I don't think we really have to say much about that. I think that's obvious, takes a lot of concentration and focus to play chess well.
Melissa Milner 3:31
Number four, chess fosters fair play and respect. This is another one that you could say this about any team sport, any group game. It says, "Chess is a game rooted in principles of fair play respect and good sportsmanship. By teaching chess in schools, educators can instill these values in students from an early age. Engaging in friendly competition, and developing respect for opponents promotes a positive and respectful learning environment, nurturing qualities that extend far beyond the chessboard. It also cultivates creativity and innovative thinking. Chess encourages students to explore different strategies, think outside the box and find innovative solutions. Having chess in schools can unlock the creative potential of students and promote innovative thinking across various academic disciplines."
Melissa Milner 4:19
And there's two more chess improves memory and cognitive function. Now this is one that I really wanted to see some research on. And this really talks about it. "Regular practice of chess exercises the brain, enhancing memory retention and cognitive function. By engaging in the complex mental processes involved in chess, students strengthened neural connections, promoting overall mental agility and improving their capacity for learning and academic performance. Ding, ding, ding. And the last one is chess fosters social interaction and collaboration. Once again, this is one that could be really said of any sport or game. "Chess offers a unique avenue for social interaction, collaboration and teamwork. By playing chess, students learn to communicate effectively negotiate and work together towards a common goal. Introducing chess in schools provides students with opportunities to build strong relationships with their peers, fostering a sense of camaraderie and teamwork."
Melissa Milner 5:20
We have students that are teaching each other. We also have some times a game where there's two people playing but then there's two people watching. And they're observing. And there's sometimes asking, you know, why did you do that, or they think they see a move coming up. And it's very hard for them to be quiet about that. And sometimes it causes some conflict. But you know, wanting to study the game, even if they're not necessarily playing it, which I think is really cool.
Melissa Milner 5:47
Some of the things that aren't mentioned in that second article, I love the bonus of encouraging calculated risk taking. It says here, "Life often requires individuals to evaluate risks and make calculated decisions. Chess provides an ideal platform for children to practice this essential skill. By weighing the potential gains and losses of each move, kids learn the art of calculated risk taking, gaining valuable experience and making decisions with limited information, a skill that translates to real life scenarios." So that's kind of a really nice benefit of playing chess, instilling the value of hard work was mentioned. Teaching principles and values through chess. Another one that I thought was great was developing calmness under pressure. It says, "Maintaining composure and focus under pressure is a valuable life skill. In chess, players must remain calm and collected even in intense and critical situations. By regularly engaging in chess, children learn to regulate their emotions," ding, ding, ding, "think clearly, and make sound decisions while under pressure, enhancing their ability to handle high pressure situations in other areas of life."
Melissa Milner 7:02
I also was thinking, you know, if they're learning this, and they're able to show that they can handle this, when playing chess, when they're not doing well handling pressure, we can remind them of well, what would you be doing if this was a chess game? What would you be telling yourself, we can use that as a bridge to other parts of their learning. So I hope that was interesting. I don't know how early you could start teaching chess in school, but I'm finding that fourth grade is a great time for learning how to play chess, and also what I'm going to talk about in my next minisode, which is starting to expose students to logic problems. So that will be the next one. Thanks for listening.
Melissa Milner 7:42
For my blog, transcripts of this episode, and links to any resources mentioned, visit my website at www.theteacheras.com. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram @melissabmilner and I hope you check out The Teacher As... Facebook page for episode updates. Thanks for listening. And that's a wrap.