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study appears to demonstrate that the treatment of the elementary, clear cut and playful subject matter can have a positive effect on motivation and school achievement generally" (Ferguson).
In Venezuela, the "Learning to Think Project", which trained 100,000 teachers to teach thinking skills, and involved a sample of 4,266 (second grade) students, arrived at a common conclusion that chess, being methodologically taught, is an incentive system adequate to accelerate the increase of IQ in elementary age children of both sexes at all socio-economic levels (Ferguson).

In the United States, it has received endorsements from many educators, including that from Benjamin Franklin and former US Officials. "Chess Improves Academic Performance" features several testimonies from school principals, including "Not only have the reading and math skills of these children soared, their ability to socialize has increased substantially, too. Our studies have shown that incidents of suspension and outside altercation have decreased by at least 60% since these children became interested in chess." (New York Chess Program, Ferguson)
Chess has been brought into schools because it is believed to directly contribute positively to academic success. Chess makes children more intelligent. It does this by teaching the following skills:
Focusing children are taught the benefit of observing carefully and concentrating.
If they don't pay attention to what is happening on the board, they can't respond to it, no matter how bright they are.
Visualizing children are encouraged to imagine a sequence of events before they happen. We actually increase their ability to visualize by exercising; first they shift one piece in their mind, first one, then several steps in advance.
Thinking Ahead children are trained to think first, and then act. They're taught: "If I do this what could happen next, and how can I respond." Over time, chess helps develop patience.
Weighing Options children are trained that they don't have to do the first move that pops into their head. They discover to see alternatives and consider the pros and cons of a variety of actions.
Analyzing Concretely children learn to evaluate results of particular actions and sequences. "Does this sequence help or hurt me?" Decisions are superior when guided by logic, instead of an impulse.
Thinking Abstractly children are educated to step back every so often from details and consider the bigger picture. Than they take a pattern used in on context

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