How Children Succeed

In How Children Succeed, journalist Paul Tough argues that character traits such as grit, curiosity, conscientiousness, and self-control matter as much as IQ in determining a child’s long-term outcomes. The book grew out of Tough’s reporting on education, poverty, and neuroscience, and it follows several real people and programs rather than offering abstract advice. Much of the narrative centers on Kewauna Lerma, a Chicago teenager from a poor background who attends a charter school, OneGoal, that coaches low-income students through college; her story illustrates how noncognitive skills can be taught and supported. Tough also visits Dominic Randolph, headmaster of the elite Riverdale Country School in New York, who worries that affluent students are overprotected and under-challenged in resilience. Tough examines research by economists and psychologists, including James Heckman’s work on the importance of early childhood investment and the Perry Preschool Project, as well as studies on stress and executive function by neuroscientists such as Michael Meaney. He describes the “character” movement in schools, contrasting programs like KIPP and the Chicago-based Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man (BAM) intervention, which uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help at-risk boys slow down and make better decisions. A central argument is that adverse childhood experiences can impair the development of self-regulation, but supportive relationships and targeted interventions can buffer that harm. The book’s structure moves between poor and wealthy communities, showing that character development is not just a remedy for disadvantage but a challenge across the socioeconomic spectrum. Tough concludes that schools and families can cultivate persistence and optimism, though he cautions that character is not a quick fix for systemic inequality. The result is a reported, evidence-driven exploration of what actually helps children succeed.