Photo: @teamwillsnz via Instagram
The first time my eight-year-old played chess, I was shocked. Not because she won (she didn?t) or because she was incredible (she wasn?t), but because she sat still for 30 minutes straight, focusing intently on the game. For a busy kid who?s always on the go, it was truly remarkable.
Strategy games like chess don?t just encourage concentration, they also teach kids how to plan ahead and problem solve, says Tal Granite of the Chess Institute of Canada, a charity that uses chess as a tool to help kids acquire life skills. In chess, kids have to solve problems over and over, making a decision and learning right away whether it was a good one. If it wasn?t, they have to adapt. ?They learn how to deal with failure but also how to use it to their advantage,? says Granite. Researchers have long touted the benefits for kids who play chess. A three-year study out of New Brunswick, for example, found that the more chess fifth graders played, the better they were at problem solving.
Heidi MacLean credits the game with teaching her eight-year-old daughter, Lilly, patience. Soon after Lilly learned to play, she started sticking with other activities for longer periods of time. She went from reading picture books to reading novels. ?When we first started playing, she just wanted a turn, but as we kept at it, she took more time to think about the pieces and her moves,? says MacLean.
Kids can play chess when they?re old enough to learn and remember how the...