After-school go club teachers in Seattle have often used handouts with go problems, but this year they have started giving each student their own workbook with their name on it. The results were surprising: the beginners really liked the books, sometimes more than playing. One student told me he was going to sign up for the spring session just so that he could finish his workbook! The go clubs are in local elementary schools, and most of the students are in grades 1-3. The Center is mostly using English translations of the “Level Up” books by Lee Jae-Hwan, with some of the “Speed Baduk” workbooks by Kim Sung-Rae as well.
The workbooks have been an education for the teachers as well. The books use a lot of repetition, and progress much more slowly than the typical introductory class at the Seattle Go Center. “Level Up” doesn’t introduce the concept of “two eyes” until the end of the 2nd volume. Apparently, the students like the repetition, as it makes the problems seem easy. But over time, they get a thorough grounding in the fundamentals. The “Level Up” series has 10 volumes; the “Jump Level Up” series follows that.
Finding the beginning volumes of either series in the U.S. can be hard, but the “Level Up” books can be ordered directly from Korea. They are shipped by international surface mail, so it takes a while for them to arrive. One order took about 2 weeks, another order, about 8 weeks. To order books, contact Baduktopia at info@baduktopia.co.kr. More information on Baduktopia can be found on Facebook. Photo/Report by Brian Allen
