One Day Academy

This two-hour class will introduce five- and six-year-old children to beginning phonics, handwriting, literacy, and number skills through a variety of hands-on activities, puzzles, and games.  Picture books, Dr. Seuss stories, nursery rhymes, Bible verses and poems will be incorporated into literacy skills.  The ODA kindergarten teacher will provide mini-lessons, hands-on learning, and structured playtime.   A packet will be sent home weekly to guide parents in reinforcing concepts and practicing skills that were introduced in class.  Parents should plan to spend approximately two hours at home sprinkled throughout each day, following through with the recommended learning activities.

Stepping into the world of chess opens up an exciting journey filled with strategy, critical thinking, and endless fun. Chess is beyond a game; it’s a tool to sharpen your mind, improve your problem-solving skills, and even enhance your creativity. Every other board game will become boring by comparison! In this class, we’ll cover the basics, from understanding the board and pieces to learning fundamental tactics and strategies. As the class progresses, we’ll learn some specific openings, middle game plans, and end games to checkmate your opponent. By the end of class, the diligent student will be an intermediate-level chess player. No matter your starting point, you’ll find yourself developing new skills and enjoying the challenges that each game brings.

Chess is widely considered the greatest game ever conceived and is wonderfully fun, but where the game of chess really excels is as an educational tool.

Schools all over the country continue to incorporate chess into their curriculum, and four-year scholarships are being awarded for excellence in chess at many universities. (e.g. The University of Texas at Dallas)

When teaching chess, I don’t tell children which moves they should make, I teach them how to analyze and evaluate the information in front of them so they can make their own informed decisions. In other words, I teach my students how to think by providing them with questions, not answers. (i.e. The Socratic Method)

The position of the pieces on a chessboard are similar to the “Given” statements of a geometric proof because they provide information and a starting point of how one might proceed. Therefore, my goal when teaching children the game of chess is to instruct them how to evaluate a situation before planning and executing a decision.

Playing chess introduces problem-solving methods applicable outside the gaming arena while promoting cognitive development and increasing a child’s concentration. The mental exercise of evaluation and decision making is applicable to all educational pursuits as well as to life’s daily choices.

Students will improve their chess game from the basic fundamentals through Advanced Tactics, Opening Principles and Endgame Strategies. Classes are highly interactive while emphasizing fun and providing a variety of activities.

Note: While Piece Movement and the Rules of Chess will be reviewed, if your child is a young beginner or has never played chess, please consider enrolling them in a few private lessons to give them a head start prior to attending class.

1. Chessboard Terminology, Algebraic Notation

2. Misc Rules: Castling, Pawn Promotion, En Passant, Touch Move, etc…

3. Check, Checkmate & Stalemate Clarification

4. Basic Checkmates

5. Beginning and Advanced Tactics

6. Opening, Middle Game and Endgame Principles

7. Candidate Move Analysis

8. Tournament Rules & Preparation, Chess Clock Rules

9. Chess Variants