hi all. just adding a small comment in here to perhaps give people some insight into south african schools. im 24 now, but when i was still at high school and primary school, chess was offered there on a voluntary basis at no additional cost over and above your tution fees. this was done at both public and private schools and chess is quite popular in schools as i understand it. we would even have organized school tournaments where we would play against other schools teams, etc. i remember those days fondly and enjoyed the tournaments and practices so much.
i would also love to see this approach adopted worldwide in both public and private schools where chess can be made available on a voluntary basis for those interested and perhaps even promoted through "crash courses" and the like to make people aware of it. so few people, i have found, are actually ever truly introduced to chess, and they literally "don't know what they are missing", because they havent been made truly aware of what it entails.
i grew up with chess and i believe it offers people so much truly. the potential that chess has to teach people about themselves is actually quite amazing really. impulsiveness, patience, the power of planning and the limitations of time, etc are all aspects that, if the student be willing, chess is able to make one understand within oneself and seek ways of overcoming ones weaknesses in these regards with the aim of eventually overcoming them. to me chess is more than a strategy board game, its something profound and deeply meaningful. many take chess at "face value" i think and see it as an interesting way to pass time. others, both knowingly and unknowingly, know that if you are open and willing to it, chess can be so much more and they approach it as such.
- pl1982
Rumors aside, scholastic chess *is* gaining in popularity, but "music or chess?" is a non-issue. Most school districts and states are strapped for money and music programs especially are under lots of $ pressure in most places. IMHO, ideally there should be room for both- not every child connects to chess (or music), especially at a young age. To me, what is *more* interesting is the fact that most scholastic programs sell chess as a means to an end (builds concentration/prob solving skills etc). But you never hear anybody mention that chess is a beautiful game.
Originally posted by HeyDrezaChess for Music was a rumour I heard. I handed in my paper but I couldn't find any proof of a school replacing music with chess.
Rumors aside, scholastic chess *is* gaining in popularity, but "music or chess?" is a non-issue. Most school districts and states are strapped for money and music programs especially are under lots of $ pressure in most places. IMHO, ideally there should be room for both- not every child connects to chess (or music), especially at a young age. To me, what i ...[text shortened]... n/prob solving skills etc). But you never hear anybody mention that chess is a beautiful game.
Anyone heard of schools actually doing this? Which one was it?
Originally posted by idiomsThat turning point is 6, according to the papers I read on the topic. For languages it's even earlier, 3 or 4.
It applies to everything. Children's learning pattern fundamentally changes at around age 8. If you want to teach a kid something, teach em before their 8th birthday 😉
There is a strong correlation between music and math in the brain. Those children who were thought music from young age do better at math.
As for chess, we should ask the Polgár Sisters and their parents.
Originally posted by AntalkSomebody has posted this article here in the past, so I thank that person. 🙂
That turning point is 6, according to the papers I read on the topic. For languages it's even earlier, 3 or 4. As for chess, we should ask the Polgár Sisters and their parents.
The Grandmaster Experiment...How did one family produce three of the most successful female chess champions ever?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20050614-000002&print=1
I would take music over chess any day; personally, I have played the trombone and chess for much of my life (although I have only studied chess seriously more recently). Chess is beautiful to me, yes, but music is much more preferable to most people; anybody may listen and appreciate music. There are so many genres, so much diversity in music. People may find music more nourishing, sometimes music may be poetry for the mind; in essence, people may find more meaning in music than in chess. Reiterating (again), music may be more personal or relevant to people and their lives. Besides, not everybody may play excellent chess, and music only requires one to make…
Chess should remain optional; certainly, not all people appreciate or care for the intricacies of chess. It is much more likely that music in some form may have meaning or be pleasurable to someone. Consider the richness of melodies, rhythms, dynamics, etc. of music…versus chess. True, chess may have these elements in some form, but I believe music is inherently more beautiful – chess has to be learned in order to be appreciated.
“Mr. Holland’s Opus” (1995) is a wonderful movie that demonstrates the power and beauty of music for all people, students and adults, true, but not beauty is not the music as much as the playing of music. (I loved the movie when I was young, and still do.)
http://www.filethirteen.com/reviews/mrholland/mrholland.htm
List of Musicians who played chess, including description too (by Bill Wall):
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Lab/7378/music.htm
In case you are interested in poetry…
“Chess” (poem by Jorge Luis Borges; translation by Pedro F. Hegoburu; 3/4 the way down page):
http://correspondencechess.com/congress/2001-con3.htm
“Ajedrez” or Chess in Spanish (same poem, original version):
http://www.poemas-del-alma.com/ajedrez.htm