What is "The King is the Thing?"The King is the Thing is a unique chess program which teaches important life skills through chess instruction. Along with step-by-step lessons in the fundamentals of chess, children learn how God's Word can help us make "all the right moves" in our daily lives. A weekly hand-out helps parents understand the content of each session.
The King is the Thing is designed for children ages 8-12, with or without previous experience in chess. The program is designed to meet weekly for eight weeks.
Who designed the program?
The program's creator is Keith Schoch, a professional educator who has taught numerous chess clubs in schools and summer camps. His success using chess in an academic setting to bring about prosocial behaviors led him to develop The King is the Thing chess curriculum.
In sharing his rationale for this program, Keith states: "Many children today are incredibly impulsive, neglecting to weigh the consequences of decisions they make on a daily basis. Through chess programs at schools and summer camps, I have seen even the most impetuous child learn to pause and deliberate on consequences, and this critical skill has transferred into academics and positive behaviors as a direct result of chess instruction. Chess, like the very best teacher, meets a child at his or her level of understanding. In chess we cannot blame chance; there is, instead, the opportunity for improvement and redemption based on lessons learned. The consequences of poor choices, learned painlessly on the board, can be crafted into Scripture-based life lessons which children can readily understand and apply to their own lives."
Who originally sponsored the program?
The original program was sponsored by Fellowship Bible Church, located at the corner of New Amwell and Auten Road in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Our fellowship seeks to know and live the truth as taught by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We believe the Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God and the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. Further information about the beliefs and ministries of our church can be found at http://www.fellowshipnj.com/.
How can I get more information and a copy of the curriculum?
Email Keith Schoch at KLSchoch at aol.com.
