Higher order thinking skills

Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) is said to be one of the benefits that kids can get from playing chess.

I did a bit of research to have a simple understanding about this HOTS concept. Wikipedia offers this definition: “The simplest thinking skills are learning facts and recall, while higher order skills include critical thinking, analysis and problem solving."

See the difference? From simple understanding to higher order?

Studies have already shown that indeed chess leads to providing kids with HOTS.

Studies also point to the fact that HOTS can make your kids:
- More confident in their own ability to solve problems and succeed academically
- Less impulsive, more willing to disconfirm their initial hypotheses
- More able to see relationships between and among concepts which were formerly viewed as discrete
- Able to consider more information at a time while solving a problem
- More willing to take risks when approaching problems
- Most importantly, HOTS students are able to learn high-level content the first time it is taught.content the first time it is taught.

I can cite a concrete example to prove that chess – indeed – can help kids excel in school.

I have a friend with three kids who are all into chess. The kids are not just into this sport for the sake of the game – all of them are in a competitive level.

Of the three kids, the eldest became a chess champion in his department in University of the Philippines Manila. The lad is taking up a degree in medicines, if I remember the facts right.

The second kid is a chess varsitarian in UE or FEU? He is a scholar and a performer, earning his education with the help of playing chess.

The youngest, who is the most promising among the three, is a very bright scholar in La Salle Green Hills. This young boy’s grade average in school is 95%! In fact, he is now applying to be accelerated to high school at the age of 10!

Chess for kids? Chess as part of the school curriculum? That’s a triple exclamation move!!!