Danielle Malone
I am writing this testimonial on behalf of my children, Shawn and Jonathan, who have greatly benefitted from Allyn Kahn's chess coaching:
Since 3rd grade, Shawn (now in 5th grade), has been a chess student of Allyn Kahn. Having had no prior exposure, Shawn picked up the sport rather quickly thanks to the enthusiasm and attentiveness of Coach Allyn. I knew from the very beginning that his patient teaching style would be beneficial to Shawn.
Shawn consistently comes home beaming after practice, expressing pride in the new strategies he has learned. In fact, at age eight, he taught myself and his younger brother, Jonathan, how to play. Jonathan is now also a student of Coach Allyn. Both of my boys get in a good laugh after they each take turns shamefully beating me in a match.
A major highlight in Shawn's chess journey is when he took home the top trophy from his very first beginner tournament. He now participates in the rated section. Coach Allyn is often right there giving a pat on the back and encouraging words before each match. Now Jonathan, at age seven, is eager to compete in tournaments and follow in big brother's footsteps. These accomplishments and excitement are a direct result of Coach Allyn's dedication to instilling a love of chess in the lives of his students.
Coach Allyn's techniques have helped Shawn and Jonathan to build confidence and promote self-correction. He challenges his students to push themselves beyond their comfort zones. And as a result, my boys have developed a zeal for chess which sets them apart from their peers in this all-consuming tech age.
Danielle Malone
I don't usually have a reason to post much here but today I do. My son's chess coach, who is one of the nicest and most brilliant people I have ever met, has invented a new 'game'. He has a website at www.mentagy.com. I have seen both the book and the board. For my therapy friends, the fine motor/cognitive component is really great for the little ones and the older ones.
Suzanne Cuspilich
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Mentagy is a progressively challenging puzzle that is adaptable to all age-groups. As an occupational therapist, I have used this modality for a varied patient population including strokes, multiple sclerosis, orthopedic/injuries and all cognition/problem-solving difficulties. Mentagy is one of the few treatment modalities that easily enables the therapist to moderate the skill-level towards each patient.
I will continue to use and recommend Mentagy to all therapists that are yearning for successful, measurable outcomes in both physical disability and psychosocial environments. Mentagy is an inexpensive, durable, light-weight, effective, and portable modality for hospitals, rehab facilities, skilled nursing and even home-health environments.Jodie D. Stafford, OTR/L