16 Habits of Mind

Engaging children in the 16 habits of mind through chess

  1. Persisting - keep looking for the answer even if it takes a little bit longer.
  2. Managing Impulsivity - not to make the first move that comes to mind. Look for better moves
  3. Listening to others - with Understanding and Empathy - listen to what the other kids have to say about their moves.
  4. Striving for Accuracy and Precision - calculate more than one move ahead and visualize.
  5. Questioning and Posing Problems - not be afraid to ask questions and suggesting alternative moves.
  6. Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations - pattern recognition of chess positions.
  7. Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision - why certain moves are not as good as others.
  8. Creating, Imagining and Innovating - lots of opportunities of these in chess especially visualization.
  9. Responding with Wonderment and Awe - show them brilliant moves played by great chess players
  10. Taking Responsible Risks - making moves which may not be 100% correct but offers reasonable chances.
  11. Finding Humor - telling them funny incidences which happened in chess events and tournaments
  12. Thinking Interdependently - do not follow blindly what others propose.
  13. Learning Continuously - self-explanatory.
  14. Gathering Data through All Senses - feeling the pieces, looking at the body language of the opponent, realizing how fast/slow the opponent is making their moves, sensing the uneasiness of the opponent when confronted with an unexpected move.
  15. Thinking Flexibly - ability to change plan of action when confronted with different replies from the opponent.
  16. Thinking about our Thinking (meta-cognition) - cultivate the habit of re-evaluating the way we strategise in chess.