A four-stage teaching method

Every lesson builds on
the same four concepts

The P.E.A.K. method is how we teach chess. Personalise, Explore, Apply, Know. Four repeatable stages, built on how children actually learn, not just how chess is played.

The ascent

Four stages of the
P.E.A.K. Method

Each lesson follows a deliberate learning cycle, with every stage building on the one before it. The ascent models the way a student learns new concepts.

P E A K
PPersonalise
EExplore
AApply
KKnow
Stage 01 of 04 — Rooted in Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development
P

Personalise

Lessons are calibrated to what each student can already do independently, while introducing carefully supported challenges that they can solve with guidance.

  • Warm-up puzzles matched to the student's current level
  • One or two challenge puzzles just beyond their comfort zone
Core curriculumStretch exercises
♙
Stage 02 of 04 — Rooted in constructivist learning
E

Explore

Students build understanding through inquiry, not lecture. Comparing, predicting, and reasoning out loud before they're ever shown the answer.

  • Compare two positions side by side
  • Predict the best move before calculating it out
  • Explain their reasoning before seeing the answer
♗ ♞ ♞
Stage 03 of 04 — Application and deliberate practice
A

Apply

Selected exercises and games are structured to provide purposeful practice and feedback.

  • Solve exercises drawn from the day's theme
  • Play a themed mini-game built around it
  • Complete a homework task based on the lesson
♘ ♟
Stage 04 of 04 — Metacognition and self-efficacy
K

Know

The lesson closes by making learning visible. Students reflect, reason back through what they've done, and see concrete proof of what they can now do that they couldn't an hour before.

  • Explain the pattern learned, in their own words
  • A quick recall puzzle from a previous lesson's theme
  • A progress marker logging what they can now do independently
♔ ♔
Our Team

Our dedicated and nurturing team of chess coaches endeavour to unlock your child's potential

Every lesson is led by a FIDE-rated instructor trained specifically to teach the P.E.A.K. method.

Our coaches have been featured in The Straits Times and on Mediacorp TV

The Research

Our chess curriculum was designed by ex-MOE teachers

The P.E.A.K. method was built to mirror the way children learn, shaping the chess experience around this pedagogy.

◎

Zone of Proximal Development

Learning is supported when students encounter appropriately challenging tasks with sufficient guidance and support. Every session keeps most of the work at a confident level, with a deliberate stretch built in.

✎

Constructivism

Students build understanding through guided inquiry. They are taught to compare, predict, and explain before receiving targeted instruction.

▲

Bloom's Taxonomy

The method draws on Bloom's Taxonomy by moving students beyond recall toward application, analysis and evaluation. From recognising a pattern, to applying it under pressure, to reasoning about why it worked.

✓

Self-efficacy

Closing every lesson with a visible marker of progress can reinforce students' sense of competence and self-efficacy.

Experience the P.E.A.K. method in a real lesson

Watch your child move through
all the four stages in a single lesson

Questions? Email us at hello@peakchess.sg