• Posted July 15, 2026

Impulsivity In Third Grade Could Point To Future Struggles

Third-graders who often act out during a school day may be at higher risk of falling behind academically in high school and beyond, a new study finds.

Impulsive, sometimes disruptive youngsters may be setting a pattern for poor performance in school for decades to come, conclude a team led by Andrew Koepp. He's assistant professor of applied psychology at NYU Steinhardt in New York City.

“Our findings imply that, behaviorally speaking, most children tend to ‘lose it’ a bit by the end of the school day,” he explained in an NYU news release. “Interestingly, those who could ‘keep it together’ for longer tended to do better in school and were more likely to achieve educational success long-term.”

However, these patterns weren't set in stone: Some kids could break free of behavioral issues, improve self-control and succeed academically. 

“We know that self-control helps children ignore distractions and focus on learning. Our findings imply that self-control is not just a personality trait, but something that can wear out and also perhaps something that could be restored,” Koepp noted. 

The findings were published recently in Developmental Psychology.

The NYU team drew on data from a large study begun in the early 1990s by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It tracked the development of kids born in 1991 from birth up to 26 years of age.

Koepp's group looked specifically at 747 children whose daily "gross motor activity" — stuff like running and jumping around — had been monitored via waist accelerometers for up to seven consecutive days during the third grade.

“We focused on third grade because it marks a transition to middle childhood and greater independent control of behavior,” the authors explained.

They also drew on teacher reports of any signs of hyperactivity, and tracked each individual's academic achievement up to the age of 26.

Kids who were deemed to have higher daily levels of impulsivity and hyperactivity tended to score worse on math and reading during elementary school, the study found, and that continued into high school. These children were also less likely to complete fewer years of education in adulthood.

On the other hand, children exhibiting higher levels of self-control scored better in math and reading and were 20% more likely than more impulsive kids to go on to get a college degree.

“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,” Koepp said. "Applying this self-control takes effort and by the final ring of the school bell, children have been doing it for hours.”

There are simple ways that schools can help kids manage their impulses and stay on track academically, Koepp said.

“As a society, we should value activities like recess that could let children blow off some steam and potentially recover some of this self-control. It might even benefit their learning," he said.

More information

There's more on impulsivity in children at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

SOURCE: New York University, news release, June 11, 2026