An introduction for parents who wish to teach their young children (ages 2-7) to play chess.

Can teaching chess as part of the curriculum benefit elementary school students? Chess is part of the school curriculum in many U.S. states, including Texas and New Jersey, as well as some Canadian provinces and numerous countries around the world. Some research indicates that chess—introduced as a supplement to the mathematics curriculum—increases standardized test performances in mathematics and can actually increase IQ scores. This book analyzes major research as well as a cross-section of smaller studies and articles in the popular media.

Teaches chess step-by-step, covering the board and pieces, notation, castling, draws, and basic tactics, and features a boy named George, who learns how to play chess from his tall-tale-telling pet alligator, Kirsty.

This book features the very best of Dan Heisman's multi-award winning chess column Novice Nook and is full of valuable instruction, insight and practical advice on a wide range of key chess subjects.

Provides a course that will help you understand the potential of your pieces and play more purposefully in your games; chess will stop feeling like a series of random events as you take command of your forces and direct them like a general in charge of an army.

This accessible how-to guide for parents and teachers on the best way to teach chess to children, from international chess expert Richard James, is linked to both his bestselling book, Chess for Kids, and his website chessKIDS academy. James, who taught grandmasters Luke McShane and Jonathan Rowson, shows how learning chess is interesting and fun. It can also help children develop life skills, such as decision-making and social skills, and be a springboard to other subjects in the school curriculum, such as maths, science, history and even languages. In an easy-to-follow, fun way, James explains how to structure short lessons with worksheets and other activities to introduce the chess pieces, chess notation and chess-board dynamics - so that children can understand the thinking behind the moves and start playing and enjoying this fascinating game.

Written by Richard James, Chess for Schools: From simple strategy games to clubs and competitions is a great resource to help teachers encourage children to enjoy the benefits and challenges of the chess game Chess is a game of extraordinary excitement and beauty and all children should have the opportunity to experience it. Indeed, many claim that playing abstract strategy games such as chess provides a wide range of cognitive and social benefits- such as improvements in problem-solving ability and communication skills. However, Richard James argues that, because of the complexity of chess, most younger children would gain more benefit from simpler chess-based strategy games and incremental learning. In this practical handbook, Richard provides a wide range of games and puzzles based on these principles which are appropriate for primary schools and explains how teachers can identify children who would benefit from starting young. Richard also sets out how this approach can engage the whole community, including working with children with special needs, getting parents involved in learning and playing, and developing partnerships between primary and secondary schools. Chess for Schools shares the latest research into how children process information, combined with insights into international best practice in teaching chess to young children. The book demonstrates the transformative effect chess can have on older children, and how this can be promoted in secondary schools. Richard James offers valuable insights into the greater context of chess-playing, expressing how and why chess is a joy to so many worldwide andshares a series of resources and minigames for teachers to use with their learners. An ideal resource for primary and secondary school teachers wanting to introduce their pupils to chess.