Habits of Mind
Building students' thinking dispositions and resilience
Several years ago our school committed to more social emotional learning for our students. One of the things we implemented to meet this end was the Habits of Mind. In this post I write about the Habits of Mind, how I bring them into my kindergarten classroom, and why they are effective, even with five-year-olds.
What are Habits of Mind?
Research in effective thinking and intelligent behavior by Feuerstein (1980), Glatthorn and Baron (1985), Sternberg (1985), Perkins (1985), Ennis, (1985) and Goleman (1995) indicates that there are some identifiable characteristics of effective thinkers. These are not necessarily scientists, artists, mathematicians or the wealthy who demonstrate these behaviors; these characteristics have been identified in successful mechanics, teachers, entrepreneurs, salespeople, and parents (i.e., people in all walks of life).
While there may be more, Dr. Arthur Costa and Dr. Bena Kallick identified 16 characteristics of effective problem-solvers and called them Habits of Mind (2009). A habit of mind is a disposition for behaving intelligently when confronted with a dilemma. Their 16 Habits of Mind are:
Persisting
Managing Impulsivity
Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Thinking Flexibly
Thinking about Thinking
Striving for Accuracy
Questioning and Posing Problems
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity & Precision
Gathering Data Through All Senses
Creating, Imagining, Innovating
Responding with Wonderment and Awe
Taking Responsible Risks
Finding Humor
Thinking Interdependently
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
How could this lengthy list of complex concepts and complicated words possibly be appropriate for kindergartners?
This is what I contemplated when I first started learning about the Habits of Mind. I decided, initially, that I would focus on the two or three habits that seemed relevant to my grade level. And—as with a lot of things that aren’t designed specifically for kindergarten—I learned to define the habits in kindergarten language. Antithetically, I knew that kindergartners would embrace the big names of each habit and that the big names would help rather than hinder them being remembered. I decided immediately to call them by the names assigned by Kallick and Costa.
So, which habits are the most appropriate for kindergarten?
While I initially believed that only a few of the Habits of Mind would make sense for kindergarten, I now know that almost all of them are important in some way when it comes to learning to effectively approach everyday kindergarten situations. I will list all 16 habits in the order of relevancy to a kindergarten classroom (in my opinion), and then define each habit in kindergarten language. I bolded the most valuable Habits of Mind for kindergarten-aged kids, the ones I hear myself and my students saying over and over again.
Manage Impulsivity
Think first before speaking or doing anything.
This habit of mind helps remind kids to contemplate questions and situations before answering or reacting. After learning what the word impulsive means, they will recognize that sometimes their body does things that they did not intend it to do or realize it was doing. It helps kids catch themselves making weird noises, blurting, being wiggly, reading too quickly, or touching other students or objects. Teaching this habit of mind alleviates a lot of behaviors that interfere with teaching and learning and that is why it is the first habit of mind I teach.
Persisting
Don’t give up! Keep trying!
This habit of mind serves as a constant reminder to students that they can do challenging tasks, such as zip their jacket, write an entire list of words, or learn to count to 100, as long as they just keep trying. It is the same as grit in our school’s slogan so my students hear about it often.
Listening with Understanding and Empathy
Try to understand other people’s feelings.
This habit of mind is invaluable in getting young students to tune in to others’ feelings, to try and understand why someone is feeling the way they do, and to respect those feelings.
Striving for Accuracy
Try to do it correctly the first time.
This one is all about attention to detail and staying focused. Once it has been taught, I mention it several times a day to remind students to form letters and numbers correctly. It has proven to be quite effective; kindergartners don’t like to be caught not striving for accuracy.
Thinking and Communicating with Clarity & Precision
Speak with clarity.
This habit of mind is about being clear while speaking and writing, but in kindergarten we mainly focus on speaking clearly. The students quickly learn what clarity means and after they learn this habit of mind we all call each other out when what we are saying isn’t making sense to others. I also believe this habit of mind has an impact on those students who are working on articulation errors or expressive language goals.
Questioning and Problem Posing
Ask powerful questions!
Here is another tool for helping students distinguish between statements and questions. The best thing about this habit is that it encourages students to ask questions when they are confused or unsure and really helps those higher level students fine-tune their questions. After being taught this habit, I often hear students say, “Um, excuse me, I have a powerful question.” Or, “Hey, that was a powerful question he just asked.”
Finding Humor
It’s good to laugh at ourselves!
I model this long before I formally introduce it by finding humor in my drawings that I do with students. I also model laughing at myself when I get tongue-tied or forget where I set something or call students by the wrong name. Once the students learn this habit, they love to laugh at themselves and there are far fewer instances of students feeling embarrassed or inadequate.
Responding with Wonderment and Awe
That is so amazing!
This habit of mind is essential for noticing and appreciating all the incredible things going on in the world around us. We respond with wonderment and awe during read aloud, science and nature studies, examples of creativity, and even with things as seemingly mundane as phonics and addition combinations. Once students hear about this habit of mind, they tend to be more observant and appreciative about things in the classroom, in books, and the out-of-doors.
Taking Responsible Risks
Don’t be afraid to try new things (as long as it is safe to do so).
Creating, Imagining, Innovating
You can make things, use your imagination, and do things your way.
Thinking Interdependently
Teamwork! It’s good to work together.
Gathering Data through All Senses
We use all of our senses to learn, but seeing and hearing are the most important, so make sure you’re always watching and listening.
Thinking about Thinking
Is your mind focused? Are you paying attention? Are you visualizing and making connections?
Thinking Flexibly
There are lots of different ways to think about things and solve problems.
Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations
Use what you already know to make sense of new information and situations.
Remaining Open to Continuous Learning
You’re never too old to learn! You’re never too smart to learn!
The Habits of Mind are crucial to teaching the whole child. They are a set of thinking dispositions at the core of social, emotional, and cognitive behaviors. While some people will naturally draw upon certain intellectual behaviors when faced with dilemmas, others need to be taught these intellectual habits in order to know them and employ them. The Habits of Mind are cross-curricular and can be taught at any grade level and in any subject. Teaching the Habits of Mind results in resilient students who are able to tackle real-world problems without giving up.
Upcoming lesson plans and blog posts will provide ideas on how to teach and reinforce the Habits of Mind in kindergarten. A paid subscription will keep you in the loop!