The sixteen Habits of Mind, as defined by Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick, are 16 essential characteristics for success. To quote Dr. Costa, “Habits of Mind are dispositions displayed by intelligent people in response to problems, dilemmas, and enigmas, the resolution of which are not immediately apparent.” 

 

They are not the only characteristics of successful people, but they are among the most important. While we like to assume that any student attending school will pick these up along the way, it has been found that actually teaching and reinforcing these concepts, at school and at home, is much more effective.