•Causing students to analyze a task, decide on what is needed, and
then act autonomously helps them with their social thinking and builds
their questioning skills.
•Causing others to define their terms, become specific about their
actions, make precise comparisons, and use accurate descriptors repre-
sents the habit of thinking and communicating with clarity and precision.
•Causing students’ covert thought processes to become overt devel-
ops the habit of thinking about thinking (metacognition).
•Using positive presuppositions to enhance self-concept reinforces
the dispositions necessary for the Habits of Mind.
•Helping children study and become alert to language cues that
evoke thought processes develops their ability to gather data through all
senses.
We s t i mu l a t e a n d e n h a n c e o t h e r s ’ t h i n k i n g b y a s k i n g qu e s t i o n s ,
selecting terms, clarifying ideas and processes, providing data, and with-
holding value judgments. These strategies all contribute to mindful lan-
guage, which is the language we use to grow the Habits of Mind.
References
Astington, S., & Olson, D. (1990). Metacognition and metalinguistic language:
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Bailis, M., & Hunter, M. (1985, August 14). Do your words get them to think?
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Beyer, B. (1991). Practical strategies for the direct teaching of thinking skills.
In A. Costa (Ed.), Developing minds: A resource book for teaching thinking
(pp. 274–279), Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Costa, A. (2001). Mediating the metacognitive. In A. Costa (Ed.), Developing minds:
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Costa, A., & Marzano, R. (2001). Teaching the language of thinking. In A. Costa
(Ed.), Developing minds: A resource book for teaching thinking(pp. 379–383).
Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Elgin, S. (1980). The gentle art of verbal self-defense. New York: Dorset Press.
Feuerstein, R. (1980). Instrumental enrichment. Baltimore, MD: University Park Press.
Flavell, J. (1977). Cognitive development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Langer, E. (1997). The power of mindful learning. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
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ways Publishing.
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