Day 133
16/09/09 10:14 Filed in: Diary
Chess for children. Do you play? If so what age did you learn and have you found it helps with concentration?
Youngest was still very happy going in to school this morning. She was running down the road, having a race with her sister. It is so nice to see. I know some children aren't so keen. She was very excited because she had worn her pumps today for the first time. Oh to be so pleased so easily!
I collected eldest again today. She is with me for an extra night this week as her Dad is away. She gets her homework on a Wednesday so I was determined she was going to at least make a start on it. She complained a little but she did one part of it anyway. Typically she chose to do her literacy and leave her numeracy for another day. Oh well, I can't complain at least she did some.
My partner decided as part of encouraging the children to learn he would teach us all chess. I have never played it before, and have never had any desire to. I have always thought it looked boring. He used to play it quite a bit. Entering tournaments and winning cash prizes. Whenever he watches some grand master chess moves on the laptop I tease him about being a nerd.
He started us off gently by telling us the minimum rules we needed to know just playing with pawns. (See, I even had to google the word to check I had the right spelling!). He made it more fun by explaining how they could get the fantastic powerful Queens and eat or kill the opponents pawns on the way. He also cheated a little giving hints along the way for the best moves. Eldest loved it. He helped her more than me thus allowing her to win, (that's my excuse anyway!). She lost concentration or interest a couple of times, mucking about with the pieces, but generally she watched what was going on and picked up the rules easily. Youngest felt a little left out because it was harder for her to grasp what to do. She wanted to just kill all the opponents pawns no matter whether they were placed suitably for her to do so.
Overall though I was pleasantly surprised by their reactions both to the game and being taught it. Sometimes I think children automatically rebel against parents showing them how to do something or teach them something. Even at an early age they can think they know best. But on this occasion they just saw it as fun, and of course it mean't they were getting lots of attention.
I am now even more convinced we need a family learning night, but I won't tell the kids that is what we are doing.
I collected eldest again today. She is with me for an extra night this week as her Dad is away. She gets her homework on a Wednesday so I was determined she was going to at least make a start on it. She complained a little but she did one part of it anyway. Typically she chose to do her literacy and leave her numeracy for another day. Oh well, I can't complain at least she did some.
My partner decided as part of encouraging the children to learn he would teach us all chess. I have never played it before, and have never had any desire to. I have always thought it looked boring. He used to play it quite a bit. Entering tournaments and winning cash prizes. Whenever he watches some grand master chess moves on the laptop I tease him about being a nerd.
He started us off gently by telling us the minimum rules we needed to know just playing with pawns. (See, I even had to google the word to check I had the right spelling!). He made it more fun by explaining how they could get the fantastic powerful Queens and eat or kill the opponents pawns on the way. He also cheated a little giving hints along the way for the best moves. Eldest loved it. He helped her more than me thus allowing her to win, (that's my excuse anyway!). She lost concentration or interest a couple of times, mucking about with the pieces, but generally she watched what was going on and picked up the rules easily. Youngest felt a little left out because it was harder for her to grasp what to do. She wanted to just kill all the opponents pawns no matter whether they were placed suitably for her to do so.
Overall though I was pleasantly surprised by their reactions both to the game and being taught it. Sometimes I think children automatically rebel against parents showing them how to do something or teach them something. Even at an early age they can think they know best. But on this occasion they just saw it as fun, and of course it mean't they were getting lots of attention.
I am now even more convinced we need a family learning night, but I won't tell the kids that is what we are doing.
0 Comments