Chess Club

St. Therese School is happy to have a Chess Club because we believe it directly contributes to academic performance. Chess makes kids smarter. It does so by teaching the following skills.

• Focusing - Children are taught the benefits of observing carefully and concentrating.
• Visualizing - Children are prompted to imagine a sequence of actions before it happens.
• Thinking Ahead - Children are taught to think first, and then act. We teach them to ask themselves "If I do this, what might happen next?"
• Weighing Options - Children are taught that they don't have to do the first thing that pops into their mind.
• Analyzing Concretely - Children learn to evaluate the results of specific actions and sequences. Does this sequence help me or hurt me?
• Thinking Abstractly - Children are taught to step back periodically from details and consider the big picture.
• Planning - Children are taught to develop longer range goals and take steps toward achieving them.
• Developing Independence. Kids are forced to think on their own without the immediate aid of an adult.
• Chess turns problem-solving and learning into a game!

Students may join the Chess Club starting in second grade. The club meets on Tuesdays immediately after school. The first eight weeks are for the beginners and then the advanced players join.
Kids love the competition during the last weeks. The final game is celebrated as everyone watches the last two battle it out to be the chess champion!

Mrs. Reed, chess club instructor, has parent volunteers and seventh and eighth grade students as assistants.