This report, What Makes Me? Core Capacities for Living and Learning in Childhood, explores how ‘core capacities’ – or cornerstones of more familiar concepts, such as life skills and competences – develop over the early part of the life course, and how they contribute to children’s personal well-being and development. This report was written by Dominic Richardson, Marloes Vrolijk, Sabbiana Cunsolo (UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti), and Victor Cebotari (Strategic Advisor – Academic Affairs, University of Luxembourg, formerly UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti), drawing from studies jointly undertaken with Adriano Linzarini (formerly UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti).