Summer Reading for Teens

7 Habits for Highly Effective Teens

It’s been more than 20 years since the book unveiled…
With more than 3 million copies sold, a 90 percent approval rating from parents and teenagers, thousands of positive reviews and people still today reaping the benefit of Sean Covey’s insightful words of wisdom.

Whether checked out from the library, bought used online, or from a thrift store, this is a great summer read for teenagers.  In world where the focus on getting kids prepared for the real world involves employability and soft skills, what better tool to teach about building meaningful relationships, resisting peer pressure and overcoming life’s obstacles so they can achieve their dreams, it also packs in positive, motivational and inspirational quotes and strategies to help teens live up to their full potential.

These 7 powerful Habits teach teens that they have the ability to choose their behavior but not the consequences. Learning how to set goals, get organized, prioritize, make good decisions, builds good character and can change lives forever.  

First published in 1997 and based on his fathers book titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a great summer read.  I believe in this book to the point that when I am thrifting or go to a used book store I buy whatever copy I can find.  I like to give these to my students on occasion and challenge them with it.

I like to say I challenge them using reverse psychology to not read it and not try to learn something from it but I cant do that because I believe in the simplicity of what the book teaches.  I enjoy helping students find themselves, organize their thoughts, and improve communication styles.  This usually involves a paradigm shift, one in which they begin to view themselves and others differently. The book helps teens find independence in an effective and responsible way, which is what they most want anyway.  

The seven habits are simple but yet so hard to achieve.

1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first things first, prioritize and manage your time
4. Think win-win   
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the saw

NOTE:  If you have access to a copy that you would like to pass on, please feel free to drop it off to the high school counseling department.  I will make sure it goes to someone that it will be a benefit to.  Please keep checking out the website to more "7 Habit" based activities and PPTS.