Connecting school-readiness, self-control, and deviant behavior: the role of non-academic readiness

Children are ready for school when they are proficient in areas related to cognitive skills, social and emotional skills, and self-regulation. These cognitive and non-cognitive skillsets must be developed prior to the child’s first day of formal schooling, which is at approximately five years old. Scholars agree on the importance of these skillsets, but they do not agree on how to measure them. The second chapter of this dissertation addresses the measurement of school-readiness. The third chapter of this dissertation examines the social factors that influence the development of school-readiness skills. These skills are developed in early childhood, and most of the child’s time is spent within the family. Thus, family interactions influence school-readiness skills, and these interactions can be positive or negative. These interactions teach children general knowledge and cognitive skills, such as the alphabet and shapes. These interactions also model appropriate responses to challenging situations, which can include verbal communication or physical aggression. These early family interactions are pivotal for the developmental of school-readiness skills. I found that frequent positive interactions—reading, going to the library, and visiting with young children—were significantly associated with higher levels of school-readiness skills. On the other hand, negative interactions—physically aggressive discipline—were detrimental to school-readiness skills. School-readiness skills are critical because this early foundation prepares the child for success later in life. The fourth chapter of this dissertation empirically connects school-readiness with later life skills and outcomes. I found that school-readiness skills at age five were related to self-control and temptation resistance at age seventeen, and these, in turn, were related to deviant behavior, including crime.