In recent years, a number of researchers have offered evidence suggesting that two activities in particular are especially effective at improving children’s cognitive abilities. These are playing chess and learning a musical instrument. However, in this article by David Ludden, Ph.D, he contends that based on recent meta-analysis performed by two British psychologists, neither chess nor music is a cognitive booster. In order words, playing chess or music will not necessarily impact academic performance.
While there is no doubt that these activities are cognitively demanding pursuits and that chess in particular challenges a wide spectrum of the intellectual parts of the brain, playing chess or music does not necessarily make you smarter. For those of you who play chess or have kids who play chess, one thing we know for sure is that becoming a chess player requires discipline and developing discipline is necessary for success in any field. So keep on playing! Read full article here.