School Solutions: Chess Club Creates Fun Learning Opportunity
Posted by: Tracey McCain
Created: 6/7/2009 2:21:35 PM
Reidsville, NC – Most kids would choose their Game Boy over a board game these days, but we found a group of Rockingham County students who are just the opposite.
Students at Reidsville Middle School play chess competitively and as our Tracey McCain found out these kids are no pawns.
“It’s like poker; you always have to try to keep a straight face,” said chess club member Travis Smith.
The club of just a handful of original members grew to more than thirty in one month. Chess club advisor Ruth Williamson thinks she knows why.
“Students particularly at this age want to belong and having a chess club here at the middle school gives them a chance to come to school and feel a part,” said Williamson.
Experts credit chess with building student’s confidence. In this particular classroom, it keeps students out of trouble.
“It explores your mind,” said Smith. “It’s strategy and when you win you feel good, because you never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
Williamson sees the changes chess made in her student’s academics.
“Chess involves problem-solving strategies, they’re thinking about their move and their thinking about what their opponents going to do and the strengths of the pieces that they have.”
Students are proud to see their grades improve but it’s the club’s social interaction that they enjoy most.
It gives you friendship and the ability to have fun,” said Smith.
Students hold week long competitions at the school. Every member plays a club-mate at least once. So what does the chess champion win? A simple handshake and some bragging rights.
WFMY News 2
This is very true.
Why do you have to chose one over the other? I started playing chess because I saw Chessmaster on the PC Video game shelves. I play the vast majority of my chess online and even have Chessmaster for my Nintendo DS.