Chess is brain food for kids

Special thanks to Dr. Alexey Root of UTD for bringing these links to us

Daa Mahowald is one of our presenters at the Texas Chess Association Chess in Education workshop coming up on March 17th. The link for workshop information is: www.swchess.com/sce/tourney/tsc2007/cied.htm

Chess is brain food for the toddler set

If you ask your average three year old, most would prefer trucks or dolls to a bishop or rook. But each Tuesday, a group of youngsters and their moms meet in the community room at New Hope Ice Arena, to learn the ins and outs of the game of chess.

“I love playing it, I love teaching it, and the best part about it is watching the light bulb turn on in the kids,” gushed Daa Mahowald, one of the Twin Cities most recognized chess coaches. “I just love it when they get a concept.”

Mahowald is among a growing group of chess advocates and educators, who believe that the game can spur brain development and improve academic performance in children as young as three.”

The kids who take up chess at a young age, first grade, three years old, will be able to handle 8th or 9th grade geometry where the kids who don’t do chess will be struggling, doing brute force, memorization, not having the understanding, which is what geometry is all about.”

A number of national studies have also drawn a correlation between playing chess, and increased test scores.

Here is the full article.