Research Articles
The One Brain Skill That Predicts How Your Child Will Do in School — and in Life
Reviewed by: Irina Patwardhan, Ph.D.
Published: August 2026
Reading time: ~3 min
Every August, families think about school supplies, new shoes and bedtime routines.
But there's a brain skill that matters more for school success than almost anything in a backpack, and a 2023 study from Boys Town National Research Hospital researchers shows exactly how important it is, and how early it starts shaping a child's future.
The skill is called cognitive flexibility.
What is cognitive flexibility?
Cognitive flexibility is the brain's ability to shift gears. It's what lets you try a new approach when the first one doesn't work. It's what helps you recover when a plan changes suddenly. It's what allows a child to move from one subject to the next in school, navigate the social complexity of a cafeteria, and manage frustration without falling apart.
Without cognitive flexibility, small disruptions become big problems. And for children starting a new school year, with new teachers, new schedules, and new social dynamics, flexibility is constantly called upon.
What did the research find?
The Boys Town research team analyzed data from the existing nationally-representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K:2011) longitudinal dataset, which tracked children from kindergarten through second grade, to investigate whether cognitive flexibility measured in kindergarten predicted later behavioral outcomes.
The results revealed that children who showed lower cognitive flexibility in kindergarten and first grade were significantly more likely to have both externalizing problems (acting out, defiance, aggression) and internalizing problems (anxiety, withdrawal, sadness) by second grade. The connection was consistent and meaningful, and it appeared before the behavioral problems were obvious to teachers.
Can cognitive flexibility be built?
Yes, and this is the hopeful part. Cognitive flexibility is a skill, not a fixed trait. It develops through practice. Children build it when they:
Play games with changing rules. Face challenges that require creative problem-solving. Are coached gently through frustrating moments instead of rescued from them. Experience structured environments with predictable routines and warm, responsive adults.
Boys Town's programs for children, in residential settings, schools, and family programs, are built around exactly these principles. This research confirms why that approach works.
What should families focus on this back-to-school season?
Before worrying about pencils and notebooks, invest in mental preparation. Talk with your child about what's new this year. Practice transitions. Build in buffer time when things feel hard. Model flexibility yourself. The brain responds to these experiences — and the research shows it matters more than most of us realize.
Want to read the research yourself?
Patwardhan I, Gordon C, et al. "Trajectories of cognitive flexibility through kindergarten and first grade: Implications for externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in the second grade." Developmental Psychology, 2023.
Published Article
The article of record on the publisher's website. DOI: 10.1121/10.0042364|
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