Chess Supercharges Cognition!

Chess Supercharges Cognition!

There are lots of great games for kids today. I'm not talking about video games either, as much as those are great. I'm talking about tangible games - board games, card games, etc. Last year I got Ms Monkey and I a few of them. We've been playing them more often recently. Two of the classics we get down on are Guess Who? and Chutes & Ladders. But our favorite, without a doubt, is chess! And I'll tell you why...

I introduced chess to her a few months before I got her first set. I'm no expert at chess. But at the time, I'd been practicing and studying openings and tactics. The more I learned, the more I wanted to pass on what I was learning to her. As much as I love chess, it was inevitable. I honestly don't think I could ever imagine having a kid without the want to teach them!

At the time, she was big on playing games on the computer. So I introduced her to chess through chesskid.com. First I showed her some basics and after let her watch some of the tutorials on the site. Sharp as a razor blade, that kid caught right on. Within that week she learned and memorized most of the positions and movements of the pieces. A few weeks later and she had mastered dominating the computer's easy-mode. I was stunned! That's when I decided she was ready for her first chess set.

That year I got her a cheap one (in case it ended up getting lost or abused quickly) - thin plastic board, small light plastic pieces. So far it's endured pretty good with some supervision. Lately it's been her favorite thing to play. It's actually gotten to a point that she treats it like a geek treats his favorite comic books...

You know what? I think it's about time to upgrade her set this year. I'm thinking a decent magnetic set, 12" fold & store board, a decent one you can find on Amazon for about 7 or 8 bucks. What do you think?

So...

Why Teach A Kid Chess?

Why not Checkers? Or Uno? Or Sorry? Or Life? Or Monopoly?

I chose Chess because it is the ultimate cognitive workout. For one, it trains a child's ability to focus and concentrate. It enhances their ability to visualize action and reaction as well as decisions and consequences. It triggers their skills to think critically before taking the first action that pops into their head, and helps them to see alternative choices to make and weigh which choice looks the best. It teaches them to step back and look at the big picture. These are all critical abilities for creating long-term goals, abilities which end up developing much more fully into their adolescence and adulthood when utilized regularly through a game like chess.

I started Ms Monkey close to her 7th birthday. To me it seemed just the right age where her mental development was entering a stage of seeing more complex patterns and mechanics of things ahead of her. Her attention span was improving twice as fast as the year before. Her interests in new things, especially board games was obvious. Watching how fast her interest in the game of chess developed and how quickly she caught on to the rules and basic mechanics was wonderful to see. Though some kids might catch on the same at a younger age, and some at possibly a later age.

There have been times when she didn't play chess very much, and I noticed some time after that point, she began having trouble paying attention to things in class and catching onto lessons. When I notice it, I bring the board back out and we play a game or two a night. Like a charm, her performance in school comes right back up. Where she began to dread math, she began to see the patterns and grasp concepts of carrying and regrouping numbers. Really good stuff, that chess. ;)

So, what's your favorite game to play with your kids and why?

If you could recommend a game for a specific purpose surrounding child development, what would it be? I'd love to know!