Academic Benefits of Chess

Which of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences apply to Chess and PI: Team Chess Game?

The work of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences has led to new strategies for identifying talent and many programs that may enhance the development of these intelligences.

Chess and PI: Team Chess Games are a perfect vehicle to nurture the following intelligences:

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence. The ability to reason and calculate, to think things through in a logical, systematic manner.

Visual-Spatial Intelligence. The ability to think in pictures and to visualize a future result. Intrapersonal Intelligence. The ability for self-analysis and for reflection. To be able to contemplate and assess one's accomplishments, to make plans and set goals.

Social Intelligence (Interpersonal Intelligence). The ability to work effectively with others and to relate to other people. To be able to notice their motivations and goals. Parents and teachers are responsive to children's individual talents and realize chess helps to nurture the potential of many talented youngsters.

What results have been found from research into the use of Chess in schools?

A research study in New Brunswick, Canada showed increases of 19.2% in students math scores. In New York State, inner-city students showed increases of as much as 27% In Flint, Michigan, educators reported increases of 15% in students' scores after only three months of exposure. A consistent expectation should be in the 15% range.

Research studies have been conducted all over the world. Results have been similar to those stated above in virtually every study. Chess is used in schools all over the world and now entire countries are mandating the use of Chess in their schools. Thousands of schools across North American are starting new programs as a result of the recognition of the need for educational improvement.

Are there any other educational values to Chess and PI: The Team Chess Game beyond problem solving?

Many additional benefits are related to the game of Chess and PI: Team Chess Game in the area of Character Education.

1. The children learn the need for rules that define possible decisions and courses of action. The rules of Chess are the reason the game is played by half of the world's population and has been continuously popular for 1300 years. The players develop a love for the rules and their subtle interplay. They learn to succeed by operating within the rules. there is no triumph in succeeding by operating outside the rules.

2. Chess and PI: Team Chess Game develop the awareness of cause and effect relationships. The chess players learn that there are consequences to their decisions and actions.

3. Chess and PI are versions of real life. They are a civilized form of competition. The children learn to compete and even resolve disagreements without becoming angry or resorting to violence.

4. Chess and PI:Team Chess Game are being used by anti-drug and anti-alcohol programs all over North America. Chess is being used in a proactive manner as a means of developing self-respect and teamwork that discourages the children from becoming involved with negative behavior in the first place.

5. The chess players learn impulse resistance. When a piece is lost, the immediate reaction is to take an opponent's piece in return. Most often this is a mistake. Just as in real life, impulsive behavior is dangerous and almost always wrong. Children are naturally impulsive and must learn to restrain their impulses and take the time to consider the proper response accurately evaluating all of the possibilities. This is one of the most important lessons that children can learn and the do so in the game environment where the penalties for impulsive behavior are unpleasant but much less severe than the penalties in the real world.

6. Intellectual development and chess are directly linked. Research has shown over and over that students who play and study Chess as part of the school curriculum have significantly higher scores in mathematics and reading.

7. By establishing an efficient method of thinking and problem solving, Chess improves mathematical ability and other academic abilities such as reading. Research studies have resulted in test score increases in mathematics of almost 20% and in reading 15%. The cognitive processes used in chess and reading are similar. Both chess and reading involve the critical thinking processes of decoding, comprehending, and analyzing. Chess and reading are decision-making activities and some transfer of training may result.

8. Chess Tournaments teach social responsibility within teams and the overall peer group. When members of a chess team rely on each other, they form a mutual support group that reinforces impulse-resistance and encourages responsibility to the team and school student body. Just as with physical sports, the players feel a strong bond with their chess team mates.

9. The support that scholastic teams receive from their fellow students, families and communities encourages them to higher levels of achievement. The more encouragement that students receive from these sources, the better they do in school. Parental involvement in their children's education is a strong force to encourage academic excellence.

10. Chess and PI: Team Chess Game teach honesty, integrity, fairness, teamwork and other skills that are essential to functioning in a social environment.

Are Chess and PI: The Team Chess Game only for advanced students in private schools?

The effectiveness of the programs in Quebec and New Brunswick has shown that students of all levels of ability benefit from Chess and PI: Team Chess Game instruction. Even children as young as 5 or 6 can easily begin instruction in the games. They see the pieces as little characters that each have characteristics according to their physical shape. Quebec schools start with the instruction of Chess in the second grade.

With PI: Team Chess Game, very young children can each be paired with older students in teams. In this way, mentoring situations benefit both the older and the younger children. The older children learn responsibility for the younger ones and the younger ones develop positive associations with the older children. They learn respect for the superior knowledge of their elders. Some students have very limited sources of positive reinforcements for academic effort. The games and competitions may be their only source of reward.

Important Notice: I do not know the author of this material. It has been collected from internet. We will be more than happy to give creidt to the author as this is an excellent article. However, at this point, I cannot give reference. Please take this into consideration while using this material. (Ali Nihat YAZICI)

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