By the afternoon bell, most eight-year-olds are running on fumes—fidgeting, bouncing, losing focus—but a groundbreaking study suggests that the children who manage to keep it together longest may be setting themselves up for decades of educational success. Researchers tracking nearly 750 individuals from birth into adulthood found that third-graders with lower self-control and higher impulsive behavior went on to achieve less academically in high school and completed fewer years of education by age 26.
The discovery matters because it suggests that behavioral regulation in childhood—the seemingly small struggle to sit still, follow directions, and channel energy appropriately—can ripple far into the future. In a world often focused on innate intelligence and talent, this research points to a malleable skill that schools can identify and nurture early. It also offers hope: if self-control can be measured, it can potentially be taught.
Andrew E. Koepp, assistant professor of applied psychology at NYU Steinhardt and lead author of the study published in Developmental Psychology, explains the classroom reality that makes this work so important. "Being in the classroom requires some degree of self-control. Children are expected to walk instead of run, keep their hands to themselves, and stay in their seats when the situation requires," he says. "Applying this self-control takes effort, and by the final ring of the school bell, children have been doing it for hours."
The research used longitudinal data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, following a cohort born in 1991 from birth through age 26. Researchers focused specifically on third grade—a pivotal moment when children transition to middle childhood and gain greater independent control over their own behavior. They equipped 747 children with accelerometer devices worn around their waists for up to seven consecutive days to measure gross motor activity like running and jumping. Teachers also rated students on hyperactivity and impulsiveness, while researchers collected math and reading scores from elementary through high school and tracked educational attainment into adulthood.
The patterns they found were striking. Children's activity naturally increased as the school day wore on, but those who showed the sharpest spikes in activity levels were rated as more impulsive and disruptive by teachers. These same children had lower math and reading scores throughout their school years and completed fewer years of education as adults. The inverse was equally compelling: children who maintained steadier self-control had higher achievement in math and reading, and crucially, they were 20% more likely to complete a four-year degree.
What's particularly encouraging is that this study doesn't paint self-control as a fixed trait—something you either have or you don't. Instead, it reveals it as a dynamic, hourly process that unfolds within the school day itself. As Koepp notes, "Those who could 'keep it together' for longer tended to do better in school and were more likely to achieve educational success long term." The implication is clear: helping children develop and sustain self-regulation throughout the day isn't just about classroom management. It's an investment in their future.