Register for Stonebrae Golf Tourney

The Stonebrae Classic is to be held April 12-18, 2010, at the stunning TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae. In just its second year, the Stonebrae Classic has a goal to generate more than $500,000 for Bay Area charities and non-profit organizations. Proceeds will be distributed to participating organizations. HYA asks for your contribution supporting the Hayward Chess and Scrabble Clubs, after school programming at Bowman Elementary.
See the event page.

 Chess Club

Chess Scores

Posted on March 14th, 2010

Hayward Youth Academy
Chess Club Member
Group 1

  • Brandon
  • Lesly
  • Johny
  • Shiva
  • Alfred
  • Eliseo
  • Joshua
  • Samantha
  • Stori
  • Payal
  • Liam
  • Esmeralda

Hayward Youth Academy
Chess Club Members
Group 2

  • Ray
  • Byron
  • Maria
  • D’Shawn
  • Hugo
  • Joshua
  • Jaime
  • Fernanda
  • Julio
  • Victor
  • Samantha
  • Keioni
  • Sonny
  • Enrique
  • Joquiil
  • Justin

Scrabble Scores

Posted on March 14th, 2010
  • Wendy’s World   45
  • Goof Balls            45
  • ChessMasters     50

Chess Club

HYA Chess Club
HYA Chess T-shirts available!

HYA (Novato) Chess Club

Interested in your child’s critical thinking skill?  Chess is fun, and  our entry level  Chess Club session is geared for elementary school youth in this (10) week program.

Registration fee: $25 
Course fee: $125 / student
(10 week session)

Contact: info@haywardyouthacademy.org

 

Educational Research   These conclusions have been backed up by educational research. Studies have been done in various locations around the United States and Canada, showing that chess results in increased scores on standardized tests for both reading and math. A study on a large scale chess program in New York City, which involved more than 100 schools and 3,000 children, showed higher classroom grades in both English and Math for children involved in chess.
Studies in Houston, Texas and Bradford, Pennsylvania showed chess leads to higher scores on the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.Social Benefits   In the schools, chess often serves as a bridge, bringing together children of different ages, races and genders in an activity they can all enjoy. Chess helps build individual friendships and also school spirit when children compete together as teams against other schools. Chess also teaches children about sportsmanship – how to win graciously and not give up when encountering defeat. For children with adjustment issues, there are many examples where chess has led to increased motivation, improved behavior, better self-image, and even improved attendance. Chess provides a positive social outlet, a wholesome recreational activity that can be easily learned and enjoyed at any age.
 Why does chess have this impact?        Why did chess players score higher on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking?  As well as,the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal? 

 
Briefly, there appear to be at least seven significant factors:

1) Chess accommodates all modality strengths.
2) Chess provides a far greater quantity of problems for practice.
3) Chess offers immediate punishments and rewards for problem solving.
4) Chess creates a pattern or thinking system that, when used faithfully, breeds success. The chess-playing students had become accustomed to looking for more and different alternatives, which resulted in higher scores in fluency and originality.
5) Competition. Competition fosters interest, promotes mental alertness, challenges all students, and elicits the highest levels of achievement (Stephan, 1988).
6) A learning environment organized around games has a positive affect on students’ attitudes toward learning. This affective dimension acts as a facilitator of cognitive achievement (Allen & Main, 1976). Instructional gaming is one of the most motivational tools in the good teacher’s repertoire. Children love games. Chess motivates them to become willing problem solvers and spend hours quietly immersed in logical thinking. These same young people often cannot sit still for fifteen minutes in the traditional classroom.
7) Chess supplies a variety and quality of problems. As Langen (1992) states: “The problems that arise in the 70-90 positions of the average chess game are, moreover, new. Contexts are familiar, themes repeat, but game positions never do. This makes chess good grist for the problem-solving mill.

Educational Benefit of Chess

http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/thinking/fischer.htm