The SMART Method to Teach Chess

Mission
Our mission is to highlight the educational benefits of using chess as an educational tool to prepare children for life and support teachers and tutors with our expertise.

Vision
Our vision is to equip more and more educators worldwide to improve their teaching skills in order to help children develop their social, emotional and intellectual skills with chess in education.

The ECU101 – The SMART Method to Teach Chess training course comprises two days of interactive presentations, group discussions and practical exercises. The focus of the course is on how to teach chess with the Chess in Education approach to draw parallels between the decisions made on the board and the choices one faces in everyday life. The course is suitable for teachers and tutors who want to make chess an exciting and educational experience for children.

Using chess as an educational tool

Using chess as an educational tool requires a combination of skills from educators, including knowledge of the subject matter, effective communication skills, and the ability to inspire and motivate students to maintain their interest in the game.

Chess educators have a great responsibility when it comes to classroom teaching. Their effectiveness is the key to successfully developing students’ cognitive, emotional and social skills through the game, therefore the training course aims to support teachers who want to use chess as an educational tool. Besides the educational chess approach, chess educators need to learn about basic pedagogical skills and classroom management techniques to enhance their effectiveness.

This training course supports teachers in improving their instructional skills, including how to structure lessons, provide feedback, and create a supportive learning environment to maintain students’ motivation. It also introduces new teaching strategies and techniques for chess in education to help teachers design and deliver effective lessons and achieve better learning outcomes for students.

Course Content:

Course Content

1.) Education Context
2.) Starting Chess in School
3.) The Playing Method
4.) Structured Thinking
5.) The SMART Method (Pedagogical Approach)
6.) Teaching Checkmate
7.) Classroom Management
8.) Differentiation
9.) Planning

The Training CourseBook is provided to attendees which covers all the theory and practice introduced in the training course.

The ECU School Chess Teacher Certificate is available to those who complete the course and pass an online test taken at the end of the course. The course certificate title qualifies towards Continuing Professional Development and is recognised across Europe by virtue of being accredited by the European Chess Union.

The course is organised by ChessPlus Limited, a contracted partner to ECU.

Are you an individual who is interested in the training course? Are you from a Chess Federation, organisation or school that wants to support more tutors and teachers on how to use chess as an educational tool?

Please contact info.edu@europechess.org for more information.

See upcoming training courses here