Prominent entrepreneurs who play chess are: Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal along with Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

Stepping Stone School is proud to introduce the traditional, yet revolutionary game of chess to its advanced pre-k and school-age masterminds! These students are learning about the history of the game as well as how the pieces move and strategies for winning. The classes will also include tournaments to allow the students to practice their new skills.

Several studies have shown that children who play chess  improve their analytical and critical thinking skills as well as visualization abilities. Chess has also been shown to boost children’s math, reading and verbal skills, but the benefits go far beyond academic.

Chess can help your child reach full potential by:

• Encouraging the development of analytical and decision-making skills;
• Calling upon higher-order thinking skills to analyze consequences and visualize future possibilities;
• Increasing one’s ability to recognize complex patterns;
• Strengthening your child’s mental clarity, fortitude, stability and overall health;
• Teaching a healthy sense of fairness;
• Increasing the use of both sides of the brain to make decisions, engaging the visual information processing part of the brain to find patterns and the analytical side to pick the best move;
• Improving your child’s self-esteem and communication skills; and
• Aiding in the growth of certain areas in the brain & mind.