Ortonville- Fun and games at school?
Checkmate.
H.T. Burt Elementary is the first school in the state of Michigan to participate in First Move, a national chess program from America ‘s Foundation for Chess.
‘I appreciate the power of chess in children,? says Kristy Spann, H.T. Burt principal. ‘It helps develop etiquette, focus, and problem-solving skills, and decreases impulsivity.?
Because Spann had already seen these benefits in her son, who is now 8 and has been playing chess since he was 4, Renee Hitchins did not have a difficult time persuading Spann to bring the program to H.T. Burt.
Hitchins is a literacy coach and teaches second grade and reading recovery at Burt and has a long history of looking at innovative programs and researching them, says Spann.
According to America’s Foundation for Chess, First Move is a research and standards-based curriculum that uses chess as a learning tool in second- and third-grade classrooms nationwide to develop higher-level thinking skills, increase math and reading aptitude, improve social skills, and build self-esteem in students.
Spann notes the program is targeted at second- and third-grade students to underscore the love of learning, which is often lost at the end of third grade. She adds that by the end of third grade, girls either establish themselves as math thinkers, or they do not.
First Move, a non-profit organization, was founded in 2000 at a cost of $1 million. The first year cost for participating schools is $625 per classroom. At H.T. Burt, all second- and third-grade classrooms, a total of six classes, will participate. Carl and Paula Steinhoff, both former Brandon teachers and owners of Steinhoff Insurance Agency, which partners with MEEMIC, have provided a grant, which, along with Title I funds, has completely paid for the first year of the program. Successive years have decreased costs ($325 for year two, $175 for the third year).
The $625 per classroom pays for teacher training; chess sets (one set for every two students); a teaching DVD; a DVD player; a mentor for the teacher; and TEDNet (Teacher Education Development Network), an online resource for teachers that allows them to share ideas and lessons plans that links chess to math, social studies, and language arts.
The funds also allow students to play chess online in a secure environment with other second- and third-grade students. Students are allowed to select chosen phrases such as ‘cool move,? or ‘nice to meet you,? but cannot type in messages.
Students in the program at H.T. Burt (approximately 150 children) will play chess once a week on Wednesdays for an hour. Children will also be able to borrow a chess set to take home and practice to play with or teach to siblings and parents.
?(Chess) levels the playing field for kids,? Spann said. ‘Age doesn’t matter, language doesn’t matter, socio-economic status doesn’t matter. They all stand to be equally successful. We’re delighted that our students have this opportunity to be enthusiastic about their learning through this game and it’s an honor to be able to pilot this program in the state of Michigan.?