Chess as a Problem-solving Skill Presentation at the Florida Parent-Educators Association Convention in Kissimmee, Florida

Stephen A. Schneider, Director of Championship Chess, educator and author of The Scholastic Chess Series, will demonstrate materials and methods of teaching chess at the Florida Parent-Educators Association Conference in Kissimmee, Florida, Saturday, May 28, 2005 at 2:05 p.m. in Sun C at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) May 23, 2005 ---- Educator Stephen A. Schneider, now the Director of Atlanta-based Championship Chess and the author of The Scholastic Chess Series, will demonstrate materials and methods of teaching chess at the annual Florida Parent-Educators Association Convention in Orlando, Florida, May 26--28, 2005. This will be the second consecutive year that Championship Chess has presented at the FPEA convention.

Schneider will present a 50-minute workshop entitled Chess: Its More Than a Game" in Sun C, Saturday, May 28, beginning at 2:05 p.m. Championship Chess coaches will also demonstrate materials at their booth May 26-28, 2005.

For more than 20 years, Championship Chess coaches have guided scholastic chess clubs that, consistently, have placed high in state championships. Schneider and other coaches have made presentations to various educator groups throughout the country, including teachers conventions, conferences on the gifted child and staff development workshops.

Schneider developed both the materials and the methods used by Championship Chess coaches. The Scholastic Chess Series includes Chess Basics, Chess Openings I, Endgames Strategies I and a chess readiness activity book, Color My Chess World, which introduces pre-chess activities to very young children. Schneider, who has been teaching chess to children for more than 30 years, teaches chess incrementally, using chess strategies from day one. As student players advance, they are taught strategies that apply critical thinking skills like visualization, thinking ahead, thinking concretely and abstractly, weighing options, focusing and planning.

Chess is quickly gaining ground, as a teaching tool, in schools all over the United States. Studies conducted over the last 30 years show that students IQs increase and test scores improve after less than a year of systematic chess study. It has been shown to enhance and accelerate learning and improve problem-solving abilities; expand math and reading skills; increase self-esteem; develop concentration and focus; and, promote students social skills. Chess players come in all ages. Even very young children can be successful at chess, as demonstrated by the annual national kindergarten championship.

Championship Chess clubs and their coaches have won local, state, regional and national awards and distinctions. Currently, Championship Chess players are ranked in the top 10 in the state of Georgia and the top 100 in the United States.

The coaches teach lessons in strategy and supervise chess play among public, private and home schooled students. The workbooks created for the Scholastic Chess Series are designed for students who are beginners in chess, as well as for those who are ready to improve their skills. Each of these titles has a supporting video/DVD.

Chess Basics is the initial workbook for students. Step-by-step, it introduces the chess pieces one at a time, not only demonstrating how they move and capture but, also, how they work together. Chess Openings I introduces openings that are most popular with beginning scholastic players, and Endgames Strategies I prepares players for the most common endgames of chess. A chess tactics book that builds upon Chess Openings I, and is ideal for the beginning player as well as the tournament player, is scheduled for publication later this year.

Color My Chess World is a chess readiness activity book with an accompanying music CD of short, fun songs that invite kids to dance and sing along. It builds the skills to make the introduction of chess easy and fun for very young children. Developed by certified early childhood educators and scholastic chess coaches, this program builds academic skills through chess activities designed to capture the interest of young children. Color My Chess World introduces children to the world of chess": the chessboard, chess characters" and chess play. Activities in the book introduce basic chess concepts while improving spatial skills, developing math and reading readiness skills, and reinforcing skills in listening and following directions.

Championship Chess is a division of Teachable Tech, Inc., an award-winning company of curriculum writers and educational consultants. Teachable Tech has designed curriculum for pre-K and K-12 for such diverse clients as the American Red Cross, the National Park Service, Social and Health Services in association with SAMHSA/HHR, CNN, Turner Broadcasting, ABC News, HBO and The Weather Channel.

For more information about starting a scholastic chess club and/or purchasing materials in the Scholastic Chess Series, contact:

Dennis Jones or Stephen Schneider
3565 Evans Road
Atlanta, GA 30340
(888) 328-7373 or (770) 939-4596
Fax: 770-493-1115
Championship Chess: www.championshipchess.net

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