The Center on the Developing Child (CDC) at Harvard University recently released findings about the critical nature of developing executive functions in early childhood and adolescence. The video is an overview of several papers on the subject. The online article includes this definition: “Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully.” The guide emphasizes the point that the development of these functions has life-long implications.
Chess in Schools has developed a set of posters called “Think Like a Chess Player” to help students rehearse the skills they need to function successfully in the classroom and as adults. Schools who participate in the CIE Initiative Package receive the full set of posters as well as access to lesson plans designed by teachers to connect chess to the curriculum.