9 Reasons to Sign Your Child Up for Chess Lessons!

Hey, parents! Anyone struggling to choose the perfect activity for their child?

I think you'll all agree — when it comes to classes and after-school fun, the choices are endless!

What is a parent to do with the pressure to get kids into intellectually engaging and enjoyable classes?

Well, we have the answer! Chess is the ULTIMATE activity for your child!

Want to know more?

Check out these 9 reasons why you should sign your child up for chess classes!

1. Chess exercises both sides of your brain.

We all know how important it is to eat your veggies and break a sweat! But often, our mental fitness is left in the dust. Regular games of chess improve brain function, strengthen memory, and help players stay sharp! The mathematician Blaise Pascal famously said, "Chess is the gymnasium of the mind." We could not agree more!

But did you know that our chess lessons are the ideal workout for both sides of the brain? Mind-blowing right?

During a chess game, the left, more analytical, side of the brain is looking for the next logical move. The right, more creative, side seeks out patterns and new possibilities.

Chess at Three brings it all together! By communicating the rules of chess through creative storytelling, our lessons encourage students to think both creatively and logically at the same time.

2. Chess provides an academic edge.

Students who play chess score an average of 10 percentage points higher on reading tests and 6.4 points higher on math tests than students who have never studied the game. Chess leads to higher retention skills, swifter problem solving, and calmness under pressure. Chess also encourages the idea that learning is exciting!

Chess at Three gets kids off and running at age three, an ideal time to jump-start those skills! In addition, our curriculum is taught through storytelling, further encouraging the idea that learning is fun and engaging!

3. Chess makes you a positively proficient planner.

Every chess game starts with a plan, but choosing an opening move can be tricky for even the most advanced chess players. Chess lessons for kids encourage thinking several steps ahead and making a plan for your pieces.

Chess at Three helps students master their opening moves with the "Secret Mission" story series and our advanced STARS curriculum.

When a child plays chess, they must choose different moves and try to predict the outcome by thinking ahead. No two chess games are alike, but they sometimes consist of familiar patterns of moves. With the help of a tutor and regular chess lessons, they’ll begin to remember move combos from previous games and apply them in real-time.

4. Chess makes flexibility fun.

We all know even the best-laid plans sometimes go awry! Mental flexibility is a vital skill in both chess and life. Chess players must remain adaptable as their opponents’ plans unfold during the game.

Children and adults often find it hard to change direction, but playing chess makes this skill easier to master. I think we can all agree that when it comes to kids and parents, flexibility is key!

Our chess lessons for kids encourage flexibility through several story series that delve into the importance of making a plan and rolling with changes as they arise.

For example, as students listen to a story about their favorite chess pals, the concept of flexibility is introduced in a creative way that will stick with them long after the chess class has ended.

5. Chess encourages learning that builds on itself.

Mastering learning that builds upon itself is an important skill! Competency in this area will be used in school and life situations and is highly valuable for educational development.

Our chess lessons for kids help children learn how to retain and build on what they've previously learned. Chess at Three lessons are based on the Russian Method; beginners start by learning one piece per lesson. By taking this learning approach, our tutors help their students build mental scaffolding around their chess knowledge.

We all understand how vital scaffolding is to the process of erecting a new building. It provides safety and structure as the builders create their masterpiece. Chess at Three takes the same approach to teaching. We use a scaffolding approach to systematically build on our students' previous knowledge as we layer in new pieces and concepts.

Our students don't move forward in the curriculum until they've gained a complete understanding of each piece and its mechanics, thus building their chess knowledge with the safety of a solid educational base.

6. Chess sparks the imagination.

Shocking, right? We know creativity might be the absolute last benefit you'd expect your child to gain from chess, but it is number one in our book! Creativity and imaginative thinking are imperative as a chess player moves through their game, but Chess at Three takes creativity a step further. Our engaging curriculum encourages players to approach chess (and learning in general) from a more creative place.

By filling our lessons with engaging storytelling and creative play, Chess at Three’s chess lessons create an environment that is ripe for exploring a student’s creative process and love of learning.

7. Chess high fives hard work and builds confidence.

Nothing is more rewarding than mastering a chess move! By becoming a chess player, your child is joining a club that is over 10,000 years old. Congrats!

Having the ability to play chess under their belt will not only instill confidence, but it will also give your child a connection to other like-minded individuals well into adulthood! Imagine giving your child a skill early in life that is transferable to high school, college, and even the workplace!

The more a child plays the game, the better a chess player they become. Simple as that! Students can easily see their hard work paying off as they begin to capture better pieces, win more matches, and incorporate strategy into their game.

After years of teaching and thousands of lessons, we’ve found that students who play chess regularly tend to excel further in other life areas.

8. Chess encourages healthy exploration of competitive behavior.

We all know our competitive natures can get the better of us from time to time. Children need a safe space to experience and healthily process these feelings. Encouraging children to play chess without the promise of winning is a beautiful way to form a healthy relationship with the negative emotions associated with competitiveness.

Through our stories, our students explore the frustration that losing can cause, investigate why it's okay to feel sad when we don't win, and learn how to push themselves to keep trying and stay positive!

Our chess lessons for kids encourage children to explore this behavior alongside their peers with private group lessons and club classes. Students will learn to win with humility and lose with dignity alongside their best pals or a new set of chess friends!

Chess encourages good sportsmanship by insisting players always end with a "good game" handshake. The message instills the knowledge that, win or lose, chess will always be fun to play with your pals!

9. Chess sharpens critical thinking and heightens mental engagement.

Chess encourages children to become "if-then" thinkers. The ability to thoughtfully weigh out several possibilities is a valuable skill that will come in handy long after the chess game is over.

We often remind our students to "play both sides" of the game. No zoning out allowed! You can't count on your opponent to tell you what move they made; you must watch for yourself. Staying engaged during your opponent's move strengthens concentration skills. In a world where screens are continually competing for our attention, concentrating on a chess game is the perfect way to enhance that skill.

With countless benefits and endless amounts of fun, a Chess at Three lesson is the perfect activity for your child! Now you might be wondering: How can I get my child interested in the game of chess?

We have several educational options! We offer story-based in-home, one-on-one, and group lessons in all five boroughs, the Hamptons, Westchester, and Connecticut!

Our Upper East Side Chess Club is up and running this summer, and we are so excited to welcome our students back to chess camp!

Our online lessons are also in full swing and more popular than ever!

Ready to book your first lesson with Chess at Three? We can't wait to introduce your child to the magical world of chess!

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