We found that the chess-playing group of children showed improvements in reading comprehension and behaviour compared with the group which did not play chess, based on the teacher's assessment of some of the more difficult children in class.
The big question is why is this happening. We can look at the reading skills, before interaction with chess and afterwards, and something improves but we don't really know why.
The approach in Scotland is very ambitious. There's even talk of Chess Scotland paying for a development officer to coordinate the interaction of school-based chess with the greater chess scene. But volunteer coaches? That just won't work, in Australia at least, with a number of for-profit firms now already operating in schools anyway. I've always wondered, though, what these outfits are actually teaching!
Read more from The Scotsman.
6 comments:
TCG asked "I've always wondered, though, what these outfits are actually teaching!"
Suggest you return to your posts and links TCG, re-read and see that the benefit comes from chess-playing, not teaching. In fact the less the teachers know about chess the better the life-skills gain achieved by the students.
Above said "In fact the less the teachers know about chess the better the life-skills gain achieved by the students."
Don't shoot the messanger when i say you should employ guys like Sweeney to coach chess because he is a great teacher.
I don't see any harm encouraging youngsters to take up the game, surely it can only be a good thing.
Being a father of 4, I wish the rest of the UK had started a similar project several years ago that could have benefited my kids.
come on guys. how can you say that australian chess coaches at schools even teach chess. its more like baby sitting service.
Cary Grant: its more like baby sitting service.
In case you didn't know, looking after and ushering kids successfully through childhood is THE most difficult and important task that this species has to complete.
Cary,do you think an 8year old kid even knows the difference between a 1500 player and a 2000 strength player?
Of course they dont,to them they are the same. Its only when the kids become solid 1200 players that they need someone stronger teaching them.
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