'C2PRs' - The secret of the success, of the competent child!

Success is not just IQ, you know- reports Haddo D'Audney

‘Eighty percent of success is showing up.’ -Successful Film Producer/actor WOODY ALLEN

“I want my children to be happy.”  - The often time response from parents, when they are surveyed on the hopes and expectations for their children. Questioned further, as to ­­­how their progenies can be happy, they invariably suggest that contentment and satisfaction come from being successful.  Studies confirm that success is a contributor to happiness, along with other matters to do with interpersonal relationships—the message is that success is not a solo performance.

Recent research in New Zealand confirms that competent children-- those that are successful—are not just those with superior intelligence but have C2PRs. The Competent Children Competent Learners Study looked at child competencies such as reading, writing and attitudes such as perseverance, curiosity and self-management. The study began before the participants entered school and concluded at age 20.  The research looked at the impact of early childhood education, educational experiences and time use out of school on children’s development. When revisiting the 20 year olds, researchers looked at what and how their subjects had achieved in NCEA. Some interesting findings:

More than half of the ‘lower’ performers at age 8 years went onto achieve NCEA level two or three.  This suggests that progress (as in the work force) depends to a certain extent on support from others. With the children, support from their parents, teachers and learning opportunities ‘within and without the school made vital contributions’.  Conspicuously children’s relationships with significant persons also played a significant part in their success.

Those who gained the higher levels of NCEA did not necessarily have higher levels of mathematics, reading, writing or logical problem solving skills at aged 14, than those whose highest qualification was NCEA level 1, or those who did not gain any qualification. However they did have higher levels of Communication skills, Curiosity, Perseverance, Resilience and Self-management abilities (C2PRs).

Another study that fits nicely with these findings was conducted at Oregon University. Investigators found that younger children (about 4 years of age), who knew how to focus, had a fifty per cent better chance of getting a university degree than those youngsters who were superior at only mathematics or even reading.  The study in total showed that social and behavioural skills such as being able to pay attention, follow directions and finish a task had a greater impact on results.  Lead researcher Megan McClelland, an expert in child development says: “interventions aimed at increasing young children’s self-control abilities, have repeatedly shown to help boost self-regulation or a children’s ability to perform those social and behavioural skills.” (Intriguingly even simple games like ‘Simon says’, ‘Red Light/Green Light’  dramatically change mind-sets.)

These studies suggest that much achievement of the type we are talking may depend on impulse control or the ability to delay gratification.  The Marshmallow study of 1993 offered 4-6 year old the chance, “to have one marshmallow (or a favourite sweet) now, but wait fifteen minutes and you could have two’. All children were then re-tested in their early teens. The findings showed that those who had delayed gratification, and got two sweets, had the highest emotional intelligence, better relationships, more resilience, better communication skills and were less likely to be in trouble with authorities. Significantly when the studies were replicated after age thirty, those who had resisted temptation had continued their successful lives.

“Everything comes to those who hustle, while they wait.” -ADAPTED FROM TELEPHONE SUCCESS THOMAS EDISON

References:

Competent Children Competent Learners Study.  (2011).  NZCER.

www.nzcer.org.nz/research/competent-children-competent-learner

McClelland, MM, Acock A.C; Piccinin A; Rhea SA; & Stallings M.C.  (2012).  Relations between preschool attention span-persistence and age 25 educational outcomes. Early Childhood     Research Quarterly.