What makes kids successful

In one famous study, children were told they could eat two cookies if they delayed eating the first one. Those who could wait 15 minutes before eating the first cookie scored 210 points higher on their SATs than those who couldn’t wait more than one minute. Impulse control is a crucial factor in executive function. “Scientists know now that being a brainiac is not so much about IQ but about executive function,” Golinkoff asserts. “The ability to switch between tasks, hold things in your working memory, and inhibit impulses is much more connected with success than IQ.”