Introducing Kids Academy Chess Course
Dec. 28, 2020
We couldn’t be prouder to announce our brand-new Chess Course that has been tailor-made for kids that can have enormous learning gains, even in the offline world! If you’re looking for a truly skill-boosting online learning experience for your child, look no further than the chess course from Kids Academy.
Why Chess?
In a society that is packed with extracurricular opportunities and events, such as athletics or the fine arts, you might be wondering why learning a game as old as chess would help a child to learn. What does chess have that kids can’t gain from playing soccer or learning a musical instrument? The answer is simple: chess involves strategy.
In short, chess is a game that requires intense focus and complex problem-solving skills. Players must strategize with every turn to win. Not only do players “perform” by making choices and moving their pieces, but they plan out each turn, much like coaches plan each play.
By learning chess, children can boost early problem-solving and critical thinking skills, potentially improving their success in subjects across the curriculum! Best yet, it gives your child an opportunity to play chess with opponents in real life, carrying what they learn online into their everyday lives! Playing chess and competing with others teaches children invaluable social skills, such as how to play and interact with others, and to lose gracefully and learn from their mistakes.
Our Chess Course at a Glance
Our new app isn’t merely a chess crash course. It is designed to thoroughly introduce little learners to the game, beginning with the basics of identifying the game pieces and learning the rules. If you and your child are familiar with the Talented and Gifted app from Kids Academy, the overall structure of the course may be familiar to you, as it is structured similarly with a set of resources in each chapter.
In general, each chapter is set up to include:
- A child-appropriate video lesson guided by our chess expert, Robert Lazorchak
- Interactive puzzle games that provide proper visualization of a real chess board and the game pieces
- Worksheets assess learning and offer instant and accurate feedback
The lessons progress from teaching the bare basics to helping students master complex skills and strategies as they progress through the program. There’s no need for children to take a course in chess tactics outside of this app because as kids build upon their learning, they are introduced to special moves and play games that allow them to strategize to the best of their ability.
The worksheets and games included in advancing modules don’t merely teach knowledge of the game, but instead focus on application. Expect to find the following types of activities in each chapter:
- Demonstration and mastery of initial positions on the chess board
- Puzzles that assess the various moves of each individual game piece
- Practice capturing an opponent’s pieces
- Strategies using specific pieces
- Patterns to achieve checkmate
Overall, our chess course was designed to transform your child from chess beginner to winner! At any point during the course, feel free to allow children to practice with you using a real chess set to offer hands-on reinforcement of the learning taking place!
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Chess Course
Since we live in a world where it often seems that traditional games like chess has taken a back seat to other extracurricular activities and hobbies that are currently more mainstream, we understand that you might still have a few questions. Let’s take a look at some questions you may still have to explore a more detailed explanation for each.
- How was the chess course developed?
Kids Academy has partnered with an expert educator and chess player, Robert Lazorchak. Robert is a certified elementary school teacher and is fully certified by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as a chess instructor. He has played a significant role in guiding the development of our chess course to ensure that it is developmentally appropriate and meaningful for young children. With his help, Kids Academy team have been able to develop a systematic approach to introducing chess to children and training them for playing with others.
- How young is too young to start the chess course?
Children as young as preschoolers can take advantage of our chess course. Kids have the remarkable ability to learn complex tasks from an early age, but depending on maturity level and their individual capacity for sustained focus, some parents may want to wait until children are seven or eight to begin. Regardless of your child’s skills, our chess course is fully optimized for young learners starting from preschool through third grade.
- How does the chess course motivate children to learn how to play?
Our course might just be more stimulating for your children because it is in a familiar format that they already love: watching videos and playing games! Our app contains lessons guided by Robert that are guaranteed to connect with little learners. They are fully animated and delightfully voiced with easy-to-understand instructions and narration. Each chapter contains lessons that include a video, puzzle games, and interactive worksheets that provide instant feedback.
- How can learning to play chess boost my child’s academic skills?
As mentioned above, chess requires players to focus and strategize, which in turn develops critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills. These crucial skills carry over into academic subjects because students build stamina for learning, and they can transfer the same type of critical thinking skills they develop into other subjects that also require thinking and analysis versus simple rote memorization.
Simply put, learning to play chess develops critical analysis skill that applies to almost every other learning task as your child grows!
- What skills do the activities included in this course develop?
Many of the games in our course directly help to develop your little learner’s sorting and matching skills. For instance, games that require students to match game pieces can help children not only learn how to play chess, but it could also help to sharpen their attention to detail and categorization skills.
As kids progress through the app, they will increasingly develop strategic problem-solving skills, applying their knowledge of special moves and tactics for winning the game to their worksheets and real-life gameplay.
- Can this chess course be integrated in an online learning or homeschool curriculum?
Absolutely! One essential component of school that your children might be currently missing out on during the pandemic is extracurricular opportunities. This also includes “specials” classes that teach students about subjects outside of the usual core curriculum of social studies, math, science, and ELA.
With so much intense focus on core classes, our chess course is the perfect opportunity to introduce your students to something new that is engaging, fun, and can become a hobby for life! Our app can be played at a daily basis at home or in school and can be integrated into any virtual learning or homeschool curriculum.
- How can the learning from this course be applied in the community setting?
While chess might seem to some like an ancient game that people no longer play, that notion could not be farther from the truth! Most cities have local clubs or organizations for both children and adults that offer opportunities for real games and competition. The learning children accomplish through our course can then be translated into real-world gameplay in the community! Chances are there is a state chess organization where you live that can point you in the right direction.
If you’re looking to start your students on an extracurricular journey that can boost their academic and critical thinking skills, look no further! Check out our chess course today and give them the gift of learning and fun that can last a lifetime.
