How to start an elementary chess club

Start young children on the road to success by teaching them chess. A school chess club will introduce kids to the rules and etiquitte of chess and provide competition for those who are more advanced. This article will help you to get your PTA on board, equipment, competition and the rewards of chess for children.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Some knowledge of chess
• A budget
• Chess sets
• A plan for meeting times
• Place to meet
• Permission from the school or PTA
• Some interested children (kids as young as kindergarten can learn chess)

1. Procure the permission to start the club from the PTA or the principal of your local elementary school. Hopefully they will throw in a budget and a place to meet, as well.

2. 
    
   Chess Set

   Purchase chess sets for kids, which are usually roll-up mats of large size with sturdy plastic or wooden pieces. Try not to use your best marble chess set with elementary school kids or it WILL end up broken.

3. Set up a meeting schedule, about one hour per week, and choose a day. Advertise around the school and collect sign-ups.

4. Get permission slips from parents signed and make sure all arrangements for transportation to/from chess club are taken care of before club starts.

5. At first meeting, assess which kids have some chess experience and which will need to be taught. Try to pair kids accordingly for the first few weeks.

6. 
    

   Provide feedback to players and be ready to take the role of referee when kids argue over rules. Have a rule book handy.

7. To take chess to the competition level, procure the services of a professional chess center, such as the U.S. Chess Center, who will (for a fee) provide chess lessons.

8. Since you are just starting this club, do not pressure the kids to compete with other schools unless that is a priority for your school. Otherwise, for the first year, allow the club to expand and to stabilize before entering competition. That is an entirely different level.

9. Be sure to ask for help from parent volunteers. Even if you have the image of a silent room full of children concentrating on chess, you'll find that is way off, especially with younger children. Instead, expect older kids to concentrate better; young ones may throw the chess pieces, knock the board over in fits of anger, dance on their chairs, hide under desks and just generally cause chaos. Don't be discouraged. They're still teachable.

Tips & Warnings

• Enlist adult help early on
• The benefits of chess for children are well-documented. Chess teaches kids such skills as critical thinking, problem solving, deductive and inductive reasoning, as well as improving math skills.
• Don't stress the kids out too much
• Don't force competition on kids who aren't ready

Resources

• So You'd Like to ... Teach Chess to Children