All to familiar in a pre-school room: “I want a turn now!” Because he did not get his turn straight away, he hits the teachers and peers.
Self-regulation is a term that surfaces in early childhood discussions, but to what extent do we intentionally plan to help children with this important executive function? Self-regulation often needs further explanation, as it is grouped with behaviour, emotional development and social development – all areas that affect a child’s ability to learn. The young child in the scenario may be labelled “difficult,” “aggressive,” and/or “having difficulty interacting with peers.” If his behaviour is examined in a different light, we might find that what the child really needs is support in developing self-regulation skills.
What is self-regulation?
Self-regulation requires a child to develop the ability to manage his emotions and control bodily functions as well as maintain focus and attention (Gillespie & Seibel, 2006). Children develop at different rates in all of the developmental domains and this is true for self-regulation also. Since self-regulation is a complex process that allows children to control their attention, thoughts, emotions and behaviours, it warrants intentional planning on the part of the teacher (Bodrova & Leong, 2007).
Self-regulation is not a skill that develops in isolation. Physical behaviours are the first behaviours children are able to self-regulate, such as thumb sucking in infancy. Toddler behaviours might include intentional coordination of walking and reaching to obtain a wanted toy. Emotional behaviours, such as spontaneous sharing of a toy with a peer, come later. Emotional self-regulation includes children gradually learning how to manage their emotions, which leads to children interacting with their peers and adults more effectively when they are upset, frustrated or embarrassed (Kolestelnik, Whirren, Soderman & Gregory, 2009). Behavioural self-regulation includes the ability to inhibit one’s actions and remembering and following rules (Blair, 2009). This form of self-regulation takes practice and repeated learning opportunities before children demonstrate self-regulation over their behaviour. The most complex, and last to develop, form of self-regulation is cognitive self-regulation. Cognitive self-regulation appears in four year olds as they develop their ability to plan (e.g., what they are going to do) and utilize proper responses (e.g., listening when a story is read).
Children develop and learn different strategies based on different emotions. For example, a toddler may crawl into the lap of a caregiver seeking comfort when a toy she was playing with was taken away by a peer, or a 3 year old may carry a stuffed rabbit around for 15 minutes after his mother leaves him at child care in the morning. Individual differences, including temperament, and the ability to control reactions are important in understanding self-regulation.
Why is the ability to self-regulate important?
Ellen Galinsky (2010), author of the book Mind in the Making, found self-regulation essential for success in school, work and life. The critical window for self-regulation takes place from birth to age five when children develop the foundation skills for self-regulation. During this time, adults are helping children to build the necessary skills that are critical to regulate thinking and behaviour. In his online journal article, Blair (2009) points out, “Emotions may influence the development of the cognitive functions that contribute to successful self-regulation and thereby to school readiness (p. 1).” Many of the behaviours and attributes associated with successful school adjustment are related to self-regulation skills. As children enter pre-school, good self-regulation includes focused attention, the ability to stay on task, ignore distractions, inhibit impulsivity, plan one’s actions, reflect on one’s thinking and cooperate and demonstrate empathy to peers. Other skills include turn taking, following directions the first time given and communicating thoughts and needs verbally (Bodrova & Leong, 2008). As Riley, San Juan, Klinkner & Ramminger (2008) point out in Social and Emotional Development; Connecting Science and Practice in Early Childhood Settings, “The ability to inhibit one’s own actions does not come naturally to children; they must learn it” (p. 66).
How do children learn to self-regulate?
Modelling
Modelling is where the role of the preschool teacher is very important as she is continuously modelling self-regulation skills for young children throughout the day in her classroom. Children need opportunities to learn and practice these new skills during the day with peers and adults.
Teachers can model appropriate responses by participating in conversations with children and facilitating peer-to-peer support when conflict arises. When teachers provide structure and predictability throughout the daily schedule, it helps children self-regulate because they learn and understand what to expect. Teachers also model for young children as they remind them, “You can have a turn when he is finished.” By recognizing when children use effective self-regulation strategies on their own, preschool teachers reinforce each child’s developing self-regulation skills. Consequently, children recognize successful strategies and the situations in which they took place (Kolestelink et al., 2009).
Realistic expectations
By having appropriate and realistic expectations for young children’s behaviour, teachers help children develop self-regulation gradually over time. Defining age-appropriate limits helps a child know what is expected of him. Teachers need to examine their current strategies to determine if their practices reflect realistic expectations regarding young children’s self-regulation skills. For example, can children be allowed to maintain a position on the floor during circle time that is comfortable to them instead of asking them to cross their legs a certain way? Teachers might discover that shortening the length of time a child spends in whole group activities such as circle time is more appropriate for that child. Allowing children to be active participants during circle time instead of passive observers is a realistic expectation for young children that teachers may permit. Teachers must also be mindful of adaptations that may help individual children be more successful at self-regulating (e.g., holding a fidget toy or looking at a personal copy of the book during circle time).
Scaffolding
Scaffolding for young children assists them to develop self-regulation. Teachers must acknowledge where the child is performing and provide the necessary level of support to allow the child to be successful (Florez, 2011). By using how and why questions, teachers are also able to facilitate children’s critical thinking skills and provide opportunities for the development of self-regulation. Classroom teachers can provide hints and prompts to assist children in self-regulation. This support may take the form of answering a question, assisting them in completing an activity, or providing words for a child’s action. A teacher may model self-talk to demonstrate the use of “talking things out” to help make a decision. Suggesting a child observe a peer when she has managed her strong emotions in a positive way is another example of modelling. For example, a teacher might say, “Did you see how Jane waited her turn to show us her bunny even though she was so excited and wanted to go first? Waiting is hard work sometimes!” Helping a child learn additional techniques such as deep breathing when he is angry during a situation can also assist him with learning how to self-regulate.
The Classroom Environment
The classroom environment can provide many opportunities for children to practice self-regulation. A classic example is if a child wants to play in an area which is full, he must decide to go somewhere else or negotiate with another child to have a turn in the area. In the scenario at the beginning of this article, the teacher may have seen different results if she had used one or more of the following teaching strategies:
- Display a visual reminder to let each child know how many children are allowed in the area.
- Create a check-in system/ choice board to denote when the area is full.
- Display a visual timer to help children know how much longer they have to wait.
- Facilitate a child’s engagement in another area by asking him about his other interests.
By using one or more of these strategies, the chances of a child’s becoming upset can be reduced and his repertoire of strategies for self-regulation can be increased.
When dramatic play materials are provided, children can negotiate roles in their play, plan and cooperate with peers and have opportunities for social interactions with multiple peers (Epstein, 2009). Teachers may also use visual supports in the classroom to remind children what self-regulation skills are needed at times throughout the daily schedule (e.g., pictures of turn taking, gentle hands, using inside voices). Visual supports such as a picture schedule/calendar serve an additional purpose of assisting children in knowing what their day will look like.
When do teachers withdraw support?
It is critical for teachers to understand how and when to fade the support individual children need. Teachers withdraw their level of support as children no longer need prompting to self-regulate. At this point, children are able to internalize and self-regulation takes place without the support of a teacher or a more competent peer.
What type of self-regulation is most challenging for children?
Learning to self-regulate is different for each child. For example, the child with sensory processing difficulties or a short attention span may experience more challenges with self-regulation. Children with limited language skills may have difficulty communicating and will need help with emotional self-regulation if they become easily frustrated when they are not understood by their peers. The teacher’s role is to assist children with strengthening their self-regulation skills.
Conclusion
Understanding that each child may need a different level of support with their physical, emotional and behavioural regulation is critical for teachers to assist with developing a child’s skills. By intentional planning, reflecting and attending to the classroom environment, teachers can develop and implement the necessary strategies to assist children with developing their self-regulation skills.
