The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Part 1

Reading Check

1. In what year was the first edition of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens first published?

2. What book did Sean Covey’s father write?

3. What is the common denominator among the first three habits of the book?

4. What is the common denominator among Habits 4-6?

5. What is the general theme of the final habit?

6. Covey reminds the reader that a certain human “power” can be harnessed, for either good or bad purposes. To what is he referring?

7. Covey compares paradigms to what optical accessory?

8. Name one of the three types of paradigms that Covey names in Chapter 2.

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In Chapter 1, Covey shares several quotes from various teenagers about the nature of the problems that they face. Generally, what are some of their concerns? Provide at least two examples.

2. As a counterpoint to the seven habits of highly effective teens, Covey describes the seven habits of highly “defective” teens. What are they? Briefly describe three of the “defective” habits here.

Paired Resource

 “Sean Covey Shares How His Father Dr. Stephen R. Covey Affirmed Him”  

• In this 4-minute video from the FranklinCovey corporation, author Sean Covey talks about his relationship with Dr. Stephen R. Covey, his father and the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
• Sean Covey is the fourth of nine children. His father passed away in 2012.
• How did Stephen R. Covey embody the principles in the seven habits, as outlined in Part 1?  Where does “affirming” fall into the overall paradigm presented in the book?

Part 2

Reading Check

1. According to Covey, before we can change the world, what must we first change?

2. When there are circumstances beyond our control, what does Covey recommend that we do about them, as part of the first habit of “Be Proactive”?

3. What is the opposite of proactive?

4. In Chapter 4, Covey praises an historical figure who once said: “So much has been given to me. I have no time to ponder that which has been denied.” Who is this figure?

5. What is the name of the technique that involves seeing in your mind’s eye a vision of a situation as the way you’d like it to be?

6. What are the three main issues that can be of particular concern to teenage readers, as Covey describes the crossroads that they face in Chapter 5?

7. How does Covey define “won’t power”?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. In Covey’s metaphor of self-esteem as a personal bank account, what is an example of a “deposit”? What is an example of a “withdrawal”?

2. At the end of Chapter 4, Covey shares stories of people who have faced crossroads and made proactive choices that changed their lives forever. In the story about a young man who made the decision not to avenge the death of his younger brother, how does this anecdote illustrate the young man’s use of Covey’s “4 tools”? Name each of them in your answer.

3. In Chapter 6, Covey uses a driving metaphor to describe Habit 3: “Put First Things First – Will and Won’t Power.” Briefly describe the driving metaphor, how it relates to Habit 3, and how it draws upon Habit 1 and Habit 2.

Paired Resource

“Visualize It”

• This Psychology Today article discusses the cognitive tool of visualizing situations as a kind of mental rehearsal.
• How does this article relate to the lessons Covey teaches in Chapter 5, regarding Habit 2: “Begin with the End in Mind”? How else might we use the lessons in this article to further our practice surrounding Covey’s seven habits?

Part 3

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 7, Covey introduces the concept of “RBA.” What does this acronym stand for?

2. What quality with others is helped in being built by communicating clear expectations ?

3. What kind of mentality is suggested by the idea that the only way to get ahead in life is if everyone else loses?

4. What metaphor does Covey use to convey the “lose-win” mentality?

5. Name an example of a poor listening style, according to Covey (Chapter 9).

6. What power can be tapped into by learning “synergy”?

7. Covey calls those people who do not value difference “shunners” or “tolerators.” What does he call people who highly value difference?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the process of “depositing” into your RBA, as Covey describes in Chapter 7? What are the six ways to create deposits into our RBA, according to Covey in Chapter 7? Name no less than four in your response.

2. What are the key features of the “lose-lose” paradigm, which Covey mentions in his discussion Habit 4: “Think Win-Win: Life Is an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet”?

3. What is “mirroring” and how is it a helpful tool in being a better listener?

Paired Resource

 “How to Be a Good Listener”

• In this video, The School of Life provides a fun look on how – and why – it is important to be a good listener.
• How might Covey respond to this video and the theory on “the Universal Book of Humankind”? How can you connect the theme of Redefining Our Relationship Paradigms to this resource?

Part 4

Reading Check

1. In Chapter 11, what are two ways that Covey recommends caring for one’s body to nurture the self?

2. Rather than focusing on how the body looks, on what about the body does Covey recommend focusing?

3. What is the five-step technique developed by the Comprehensive Health Education Foundation to help people resist engaging in risky behavior?

4. What does Covey recommend as the first and foremost gateway to learning, which in turn will care for your brain?

5. While it is okay to feel depressed occasionally, if it becomes a larger problem, what should the depressed person do?

6. To what is Covey referring when he claims, “You’ll eventually become what you view, hear, and read, so continually ask yourself the question ‘Do I want this to be a part of me’?”

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. When a rush of emotion takes over, what does Covey recommend to stabilize those emotions?

2. What are the ways that Covey recommends to best care for our souls, in addition to our minds and bodies?

Paired Resource

 “How Overstimulation Is Ruining Your Life”

• Better Ideas builds upon Covey’s ideas surrounding social media, suggesting that it is essentially a distraction and barrier to accomplishing our goals.
• Would Covey agree with Better Ideas’ hypothesis that overstimulation prevents us from “focusing on hard things”? How might this idea relate to the book’s theme of Making Personal Responsibility the Driving Force in Our Lives?

Recommended Next Reads

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

• Published in 1989 and written by Stephen R. Covey, the father of Sean Covey, this text is the book on which The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is based.
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens deals with similar core themes and principles as its predecessor, including Making Personal Responsibility the Driving Force in Our Lives and The Importance of Renewal.
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People on SuperSummary.com

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

• Written by Brené Brown in 2021, Atlas of the Heart is about defining and exploring over 80 different emotions and experiences, grounded in her work as an emotions researcher.
• In her exploration of emotions, Brown ultimately aims to help Redefine Our Relationship Paradigms, helping us gain a deeper understanding of what precisely makes people tick.
• Atlas of the Heart on SuperSummary.com