Prediction of Elementary School Achievement from Preschool Temperament: Three Studies

The utility of the Temperament Assessment Battery — Teacher Form (TAB) in predicting academic achievement over intervals of 1 to 4 years was investigated using samples of young children aged 46 to 94 months. The Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT), and the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT) were used as measures of achievement in studies 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Also, teacher assigned grades and data reflecting scholastic aptitude were collected for each study. Results revealed that even with the effects of aptitude controlled, temperament ratings (Distractibility, Persistence, and Activity) were predictive of group measures of achievement (i.e., SAT and MAT) and teacher assigned grades. Results document the utility of temperament ratings in predicting achievement over considerable time intervals and lends support to the incremental validity of the Teacher Form of the TAB.