Idaho Offers Statewide Chess Education
State officials in Idaho plan to include chess education in the school curriculum for second and third graders. Idaho will be using a curriculum called First Move, which has been developed by America’s Foundation for Chess.
Ledger.com reports that the State’s education budget will finance all the necessary expenses.
The state’s $1.5 billion education budget, passed two weeks ago, includes a guarantee to finance the instruction. Tom Luna, the state’s superintendent of education, said participation by teachers would be voluntary, but if reaction to the pilot program is any measure, interest will be great.
According to The New York Times, the First Move Program incorporates elements of such disciplines as Math, Vocabulary and History.
Teachers who wish to use it do not need to know chess. They are trained at seminars over a day or two before the school year starts, and are provided with an instructional DVD, a DVD player, chess sets, boards, online resources and a manual. Every other week, an experienced player is available to answer questions.
Deborah McCoy, a third-grade teacher in Donnelly, Idaho, is quoted speaking about the social advantages of the First Move Program. McCoy believes, for example, that including chess in the school curriculum will be helpful for solving problems of self-esteem exhibited by students who have poor English language skills.
“So many kids spend their time plugged into video games, iPods, television and so they are more isolated,” she said. “They learn give and take in chess. There are courtesies that you follow. It has been really beneficial for them.”
Photo: © hjrosasq
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