Chess is Child's Play: Teaching Techniques that work

by Laura Sherman, Bill Kilpatrick

Chess is Child's Play is a book written by parents, for parents. It is written for YOU! Chess is one of the oldest strategy games known to man. Studies show that children who learn chess at an early age gain such valuable life skills as: Problem-solving ability. Improved patience and focus. Enhanced imagination. Greater self-confidence. Chess educators Laura Sherman and Bill Kilpatrick have created an easy, step-by-step method for teaching chess that parents of all skill levels can use to teach children of any age. You don't have to know how to play chess in order to use the system. This book will teach you the game, while showing you how to teach your child to play. You will learn together. Chess makes children smarter. Give your child an advantage in life and teach him or her to play today!"

Genres: Chess, Reference, Family, Parenting, Childrens

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Gaylagumgmail.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been using this book to teach kids chess at my school. I recently started a chess club and am using this book as a wonderful guide. Lots of grest hints and tips and gentle ways of teachings kids, especially the littlest ones chess. Highly recommend!!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 9 year old came home having played chess a bit at school. She knew I used to play, but she asked me to coach her, since she has a timing conflict to join the chess club at school. Her younger sister, age 6, immediately wanted to be a part of it.

I threw a lot of info at my oldest in a short period of time, and she started backing away a bit. I didn't know how to start with the 6 year old. My wife saw this book online and recommended I check it out.

My first key takeaway from the book -- don't throw so much so fast at the kids! Apparently a common problem with chess parents who played themselves back in the day!

I haven't had a chance to revisit chess using this book with my 9 year old yet, but the results with my 6 year old have been amazing. The other night she started hanging on my leg begging for a chess lesson!

The 6 year old,wanted to play, but knew nothing about the game. I've been working through the chapters of the book, and the mini-games definitely satisfy her urge to "play" chess. In the meantime, she's got rook and bishop moves down pretty well, and is starting to learn to attack with the bishop.

I've found so many cases where the book was spot on with the things she would try to do (e.g. stacking the pieces), or the areas where she might have trouble. I was watching for them, and was able to apply the advice from the book, with immediate success.

[Vasiliy Sikorskiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Как водится, перед тем, как что-то делать, нужно изучить матчасть ) Перед тем как учить ребенка шахматам, я решил прочитать книжку про то, как это делать. Оказалось не так просто найти книгу, которая учит именно процессу обучения, причем обучения маленьких детей, у которых плохо обстоят дела с абстракцией и планированием. Оказалось, что такие книги найти не так просто. Очень много книг формата "дай ребенку, он будет читать и полюбит шахматы". Они сделаны красочными, сказочными, красивыми, еще что-то, но это не то. Я хочу сам обучить ребенка, сделать это нормальным языком, не отбив желание и не пройдя через Казань на пути в Петербург. Это правда не тривиально. Попробуй объяснить ребенку, как ходит ладья. Ты концентрируешься на понятии горизонталей и вертикалей, а он в принципе не понимает, с какого такого счастья ладья не может летать, или быть брошеной в соседнюю комнату, или сегодня ходить прямо, а завтра прыгать через клетку. Приходится много других концепций затрагивать.

В итоге нашел книгу только на английском языке. Теперь о ней. Мне очень понравилось читать. Причем по разным причинам. Первая - неожиданная - я такое удовольствие получил от емкости и красоты английского языка. В очередной раз. Знаете, как называется Конь? Knight! Не Horse, а Knight! А как будет делать рокировку? To castle! Это вообще кайф. Коротко, емко, элегантно. А белые и черные клетки - это light and dark squares. А фигуры black & white. А половины доски вертикальные делятся на kingside и queenside. И определяют тип рокировки. Ну огонь ведь!

Теперь непосредственно про обучение. Написано правда классно, в нужной последовательности. Например, я сам бросился учить ребенка с расстановки фигур на доске. Черт возьми, зачем ему это? И неужели это реально может быть интересно? А другая ошибка - начинать правило хода фигур с пешки. Пешка ходит самым странным образом из всех фигур. Ни у одной нет такого количества особенностей. Короче говоря, книга суперценна самим планом обучения, предостерегающими шагами (типа, обычно дети в случае шаха забывают, что можно взять нападающую фигуру), а также большим количеством мини-игр, оттачивающих какой-то конкретный навык или изученное правило. Плюс хорошие чек-листы и всякие the rule of thumb (в начале игры старайтесь ходить так, чтобы одной и той же фигурой не приходилось ходить дважды). И еще мелочь (причем я со своим разрядом по шахматам о ней не задумывался) - насколько просто математически оценить ценность занятия центра фигурой. Просто посчитав, сколько клеток держит слон/ферзь/ладья под контролем, находясь в серединке. Ладно, заканчиваю, а то меня понесло. Теперь понемногу с Тимой будет отрабатывать и получать удовольствие от процесса. А там, глядишь, и Данька подтянется.

[Austin Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to teach your kids to play chess, this book gives a straightforward and pragmatic approach to teach you, the parent, how to teach your kids chess. It is not a book to give to your children and send them to their room with a bunch of pieces and checkered board. Rather, it offers an approach that minimizes frustration, capitalizes on the strengths of a child's mind, and delivers far more than simply learning how to play a game. It guides parents not just through the rules and how the pieces move, but in understanding how kids learn, grow, and behave in the process. As Ben Franklin put it in 1750, "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of Chess, in which we have often points to gain, and competitors or adversaries to contend with, and in which there is a vast variety of good and ill events, that are, in some degree, the effect of prudence, or the want of it." Sherman and Kilpatrick give simple and meaningful instruction that can be used to teach children both the idle amusement of chess AND those valuable qualities of the mind that are so useful in the course of human life.

"Chess is Child's Play" offers a new approach and a straightforward set of tools for bonding with your kids, while teaching them a skill set that will be with them for life! Three cheers for "Chess is Child's Play" and a copy to each of my friends with young children!!

[Hayley Fair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never learned to play chess growing up and now with 3 children of my own, I really want to learn how to play alongside them. This book is so easy to read and I am loving it so far! The authors clearly understand how children learn best and I really like their advice to have the child teach someone else when possible since "teaching is a powerful way to learn" - we will definitely try this. The troubleshooting tips are very, very helpful! Another thing I love about the book is the mini-games that are introduced and explained - they really give kids a good sense of the worth of the pieces, how blocking works, showing ways to protect a piece, and so much more. I highly recommend this book to any parent or educator who would like to teach a child to play chess!

[Nance J. Confer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chess is Child’s Play is a must-have for any parent who wants to introduce their child to chess in a fun way.

Whether you know how to play or not, this gentle guide, full of tips and stories from years of parenting and exploring chess, will help you help your child get started.

Breaking down how the pieces move, with clear explanations of basic strategies and plenty of practice with each type of piece, will ensure your child goes into their first game with confidence.

I’m looking forward to trying these suggestions with my nephew on his next visit. He has been interested in learning how to play and, with this help, we will be looking for our local chess club next!

[Noelle Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shivered with excitement when I received my copy of Chess is Child’s Play. The book is beautifully and sturdily made and the instructions are easy to absorb and practical. Chess had long been enshrouded in mystery for me but the friendly and accessible style of the book is demystifying the subject. The arguments (and statistics) for teaching a child chess are compelling and sensible. Although the book recommends reading through the whole book before beginning lessons, I am eager to start teaching my daughter now. (Don’t worry, authors! I will contain my excitement and finish the book first).

[Dmytro Dziuma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a good reference to know in which order to teach chess to your kid(s). It is preferred (and recommended by authors) to read the whole book fully once and then go chapter by chapter. There are a bunch of different mini-games to learn or polish specific rules or concepts, also there is troubleshooting advice at the end of each chapter - although in most cases, you could summarize them as go back and revise some specific chapters with your kid if you see that he or she is not confident with something you learnt before. And keep you child's interest by finishing the lesson before he or she gets tired or bored :)

[Marc Bossserman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear and great gradient approach for teaching kids and anyone how this awesome game is played.

Actually, anyone can use this book to learn Chess and the great thing about it is it's not condescending at all it's just each simple basic of Chess and LOTS of drills on how to move each piece, even strategy etc...

I love the way it's laid out.

You can not use this book and not become a better Chess player. Ok, someone could but...They possibly have other issues.

I really like this book!!

[Erick Mertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite "parenting" books. Falls under that category for me because I believe that as a parent, part of our role is to form life long learners. This book does that.

The author does an excellent job teaching parents not only how to teach their kids the game of chess, one of the great strategy/thinking development games out there, but also how to work with kids to learn... anything. It's strongly written, pragmatic and deals on a global level.

[Christen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FANTASTIC! The first chapter alone made me excited to teach my children to play chess, and learn myself. The following chapters break down how to actually do that so simply and seamlessly that even I - who thought it would be complicated for me to learn to play, let alone teach a young kid - could do it. It definitely helps that right at the beginning, you get the purpose of learning/teaching the game and how the skills you learn translate into everyday life.

[Lori Suthar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book to start teaching your child chess. My son plays at a higher level than I do and we are both able to use this book. Well written and very good quality book. A great gift for someone interested or someone who already plays and wants to continue to develop their game.

[Aditya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starter book.

[Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

With all of the chess literature developed through history and to date, any chess enthusiast knows there are countless resources available. It would seem that becoming a chess coach is an easy enough possibility.

Chess Made Fun finally found a tool that anyone can use without being overwhelmed with complex diagrams and games shown in what would appear to be some type of code: d4,e5 etc.

One month ago I opened in my hands for the first time ever a chess book written for the “Average Joe”. Warren and I sat down immediately after reading through a single chapter. We repeated this process after each chapter. Instead of trying to teach chess all in one sitting, each chapter uses a new concept of teaching chess called “mini-games”. This method seems so completely simple! Let me emphasize SIMPLE!

Warren taught me to play chess in 2009. Since that time we have searched through hundreds of websites, hundreds of books or chess blogs determined to find something that we could use or understand. As it happened, we decided to stop searching and start developing our own materials. Well, as I have been told many times throughout my life when you stop searching for what you are looking for it will find its way to you. Once again, this rang true when we randomly connected with Laura Sherman through social media. It seems crazy that technology allows random paths to cross in our everyday world! (Ironically, that is how Warren and my paths crossed, and I am so grateful for that everyday)!

Chess Is Child’s Play is a book designed to teach parents how to teach very young kids to play chess. Laura Sherman is a freelance writer and chess coach. Together with her husband, Dan, she founded Your Chess Coach in Florida. They enjoy teaching dozens of children the wonders of chess!

Laura just released a book called Chess is Child’s Play written with Bill Kilpatrick. I encourage any person who would like to play chess with young or old minds to purchase this book. You too will be surprised how easy it is to learn and how easy it is to teach chess to anyone of any age!! Thank you Laura for writing our most cherished coaching tool yet! For you those of you who would like to learn more from the author who laid this golden egg, this is a quick video introduction to the book by Laura herself. Good luck Laura as your book sales take off! We look forward to purchasing these books for our local chess events soon!

[Anthea Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m always on the lookout for a good chess book that helps me to coach chess to kids. I found one this week called Chess is Child’s Play by Laura Sherman and Bill Kilpatrick. This book is a bargain at $19.95 for a hardback. It is 302 pages long, and chock full of ideas! This book shows a real understanding of kids and how they learn chess. I have coached chess myself for 15 years or more and I recognized a lot of the same chess situations I have seen working with kids, and some of the same challenges. Sherman and Kilpatrick have broken the art of teaching down into its simplest building blocks. They have answered questions I have heard myself from parents about how to get kids to learn the game of kings. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in coaching chess, or simply in encouraging their own kids or grandkids to learn the game. This would be a wonderful resource to bring with them as a coach, to help them with level appropriate lesson plans and ideas. Here is the link to buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/Chess-Childs-Pl...

[Michal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great mini-games, but repetitive

Before reading this book, I started teaching my son how a pawn works. The authors recommend starting with a rook, then bishop etc. Pawns and knights last. So I changed my approach and it works!

I also liked the mini-games.

However, I found lots of repetitions. For each piece (bishop, pawn, ...) pretty much the same FAQ and examples. This book could be much shorter and still be valuable. That's the only reason for my lower rating. Otherwise I liked the book and recommend.

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good step-by-step process of how to teach chess to beginners. Many of the exercises are also enjoyable and educational for those who are a little further along. Very well set up and very clear. Main disadvantage is that it is very basic. I wish there was a sequel for those who have mastered these concepts in chess.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have a lot of experience teaching people chess, or teaching little kids, but this seems like a pretty good book. Other than a slight tendency to underestimate the kids this books would be a pretty good guide for teaching young children, adapting it to fit individual needs.
I think I'll probably buy this book when I have kids of my own.

[John T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who wants to show young people the game of chess must own this book. Completely revamped the techniques I use.

[Shayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed helpful enough. I got some great ideas on where to start with teaching kids, or others, about chess.

[Paul Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many helpful examples and discussion on how to overcome common errors children strike while learning chess.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful, especially for teaching the very youngest children.

[Russell]

I would be dishonest if I said that I read this cover to cover already. I read the first few chapters carefully, taking notes and planning things out and everything, but ultimately I sort of quick-read the rest because this first pass comes with a copy I've borrowed from the library and I didn't manage to get through it all with my children before having to return it.

Having said that, I picked this up on a recommendation from a friend of mine who has been using it to much success in teaching his children Chess, and since his copy was still in heavy enough use to preclude my borrowing it from him, I turned instead to the library to dip my toe in the waters of teaching chess.

So far so good; the sequence and exercises (wait, no, they call them mini games) have so far been well thought out for getting young kids interested in learning more about how to play chess.

I expect that on the one hand, I could probably try and boil it down to an elaborate outline in my notes to sequence the remaining steps for my kids going from their current knowledge of the rook and bishop, through playing an actual game of Chess, but I will probably end up just picking up a copy of my own so it's easier to refer to it as we go. Surely it isn't necessary for teaching a kid how to play, but it does preempt successfully many of the stumbling points that we encountered, and generally seems to have put a lot of thought into the structure and sequence of the lessons to make it easier to get through everything needed with kids.

Anyway, I don't have stars here because I suppose having only _really_ worked through the first bit, it'd be premature to judge the rest. But if things continue as well as they have so far, I'd say we'll likely be able to comfortably say that we liked it a lot.