Dear Reader,
Oopsie! Last week the newsletter was sent with an intro (what I call the “Dear Reader”) that was from another issue, years ago. Thanks to those of you that wrote to say you were confused about why I writing about the US Women’s Soccer team win over Japan from 2015. LOL! So, thanks for sticking around and supporting my efforts to find education value online. Without you, there would be no Surfnetkids.com.
See ya on the Net,
Barbara J. Feldman
“Surfing the Net with Kids”
https://www.surfnetkids.com
Chess
https://www.surfnetkids.com/resources/chess/
Chess Printable(** for Premium Members only)
https://www.surfnetkids.com/printables/files/printables-club/chess.pdf
Study after study has proven that chess playing improves critical thinking skills and academic achievement. In fact, chess is a required part of elementary curriculum in thirty countries. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Terrence Bell, known for rallying against mediocrity, even encourages parents to teach chess to their preschoolers. Whether your kids are new to chess or need encouragement to stay with it, the following sites are sure to help.
Chess.com
Chess.com was started 16 years ago by a pair of college friends. It now hosts more than one million chess games a day. Sign up for a free account to play chess with a friend or a stranger, enjoy chess puzzles, and to improve your game with interactive lessons. Free accounts display ads, but there is a premium option that removes the ads. ChessKid (see review below) is a part of Chess.com
ChessKid
ChessKid is a place for learning, teaching, and playing chess. With a parent’s email address, a kid can sign up for a free account. Paid accounts are also available, and include more levels of lessons, and unlimited playtime. “Our mission is to make chess fun, safe and accessible. We strive to create positive experiences where kids are motivated to learn, play and enjoy the game for a lifetime.”
Internet Chess Club
Although it is not free, Internet Chess Club is the premier place to play real-time interactive chess online. What makes them so good? In their own words: “We’ve been around longer, have more features, more tournaments, more learning opportunities, more computerized opponents, more anti-cheating features, more titled players, more customer service, and more fun than anywhere else.” They offer a one-month free trial and after that the cost for students is $69.95 per year. I rarely include premium websites in my reviews, but I’m somewhat sentimental about this site, as my son was a member for years when he was a teen. (P.S. That was twenty years ago!)
… Click to continue to Chess
Printables Club Members Also Get …
Surfnetkids Printables Club Members also get the following printables to use in the classroom, the computer lab, the school library, or to send home with students:
Chess Printable
Chess Wikipedia Printable
*** Are you curious? Get your own ten-day trial membership:
https://www.surfnetkids.com/printables-club/
Related Games
Quote of the Week
“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.” ~~ Napoleon Bonaparte ~~ (August 15,1769 – May 5,1821) French Emperor from 1804 to 1815. Before you make your next move, check out some of the great quotes at Lightafire.com.
Surfing the Calendar
Wild Bird Feeding Month February
American Heart Month February
Children’s Dental Health Month February
Sled Dogs Save Nome, AK Feb 2, 1925
Judy Blume’s Birthday Feb 2, 1938
Groundhog Day Feb 2, 2021
Endangered Species Act Anniversary Feb 3, 1973
Charles Lindbergh Birthday Feb 4, 1902
Rosa Parks’ Birthday Feb 4, 1913
Yalta Conference Feb 4-11, 1945
Ronald Reagan’s Birthday Feb 6, 1911
100 Billionth Crayola Crayon Produced Feb 6, 1996
Charles Dickens’ Birthday Feb 7, 1821
First Known Landing on Antarctica Feb 7, 1821
Ballet Introduced to U.S. Feb 7, 1827
Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley’s Birthday Feb 9, 1865
Safer Internet Day Feb 9, 2021
National Weather Service Established Feb 9, 1870