Co- and self-regulation of emotions in the preschool setting

2020

Preprint

Background Growth in early self-regulation skills has been linked to positive health, wellbeing, and achievement trajectories across the lifespan. While individual studies have documented specific influences on self-regulation competencies in early childhood, few have modelled a comprehensive range of predictors of self-regulation growth across health, development, and environment simultaneously. This study aimed to examine the concurrent associations among a range of proximal and distal influences on growth in children’s self-regulation skills over 2 years from age 4-5 years.Methods Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N= 4983) were used in a structural equation model, predicting a multi-source composite measure of self-regulation at each of 4-5 years and 6-7 years. By controlling for earlier self-regulation and covariates, the model examined the relative contributions of a comprehensive range of variables to self-regulation growth including health, development, educational, home environment, time-use, and neighbourhood characteristics. Results The significant predictors of children’s self-regulation growth across 4 to 7 years were fewer behavioural sleep problems, higher gross motor and pre-academic skills, lower levels of maternal and paternal angry parenting, and lower levels of financial hardship. There were also marginal effects for high-quality home learning environments and child-educator relationships.Conclusion Findings suggest that if we are to successfully grow children’s self-regulation skills, interventionists would do well to operate not only on children’s current capacities but also key aspects of their surrounding context.

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 72%

Proximal and distal predictors of self-regulatory growth in children aged 4 to 7 years

2020

Preprint

“…The finding regarding importance of educator-child relationship in terms of children's early self-regulation development reflects other similar findings in both Australia [61] and Europe [62]. Positive student-teacher relationships likely matter because they set the context within which teachers can enact strategies particularly important for acquiring selfregulation during the preschool developmental period [63] including co-regulation, modelling and coaching [64]. Our findings regarding the home learning environment align with a prior American longitudinal study linking parental involvement in home learning activities with children's self-regulatory development [65].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Proximal and distal predictors of self-regulatory change in children aged 4 to 7 years

2020

BMC Pediatr

Background: Growth in early self-regulation skills has been linked to positive health, wellbeing, and achievement trajectories across the lifespan. While individual studies have documented specific influences on self-regulation competencies in early childhood, few have modelled a comprehensive range of predictors of self-regulation change across health, development, and environment simultaneously. This study aimed to examine the concurrent associations among a range of proximal and distal influences on change in children's self-regulation skills over 2 years from age 4-5 years. Methods: Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N = 4983) were used in a structural equation model, predicting a multi-source composite measure of self-regulation at each of 4-5 years and 6-7 years. By controlling for earlier self-regulation and covariates, the model examined the relative contributions of a comprehensive range of variables to self-regulation change including health, development, educational, home environment, time-use, and neighbourhood characteristics. Results: The significant predictors of children's self-regulation growth across 4 to 7 years were fewer behavioural sleep problems, higher gross motor and pre-academic skills, lower levels of maternal and paternal angry parenting, and lower levels of financial hardship. There were also marginal effects for high-quality home learning environments and child-educator relationships. Conclusion: Findings suggest that if we are to successfully foster children's self-regulation skills, interventionists would do well to operate not only on children's current capacities but also key aspects of their surrounding context.

“…The finding regarding importance of educator-child relationship in terms of children's early self-regulation development reflects other similar findings in both Australia (61) and Europe (62). Positive student-teacher relationships likely matter because they set the context within which teachers can enact strategies particularly important for acquiring self-regulation during the preschool developmental period (63) including co-regulation, modelling and coaching (64). Our findings regarding the home learning environment align with a prior American longitudinal study linking parental involvement in home learning activities with children's self-regulatory development (65).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 74%

Proximal and distal predictors of self-regulatory change in children aged 4 to 7 years

2020

Preprint

Background Growth in early self-regulation skills has been linked to positive health, wellbeing, and achievement trajectories across the lifespan. While individual studies have documented specific influences on self-regulation competencies in early childhood, few have modelled a comprehensive range of predictors of self-regulation change across health, development, and environment simultaneously. This study aimed to examine the concurrent associations among a range of proximal and distal influences on change in children’s self-regulation skills over 2 years from age 4-5 years.Methods Data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (N= 4983) were used in a structural equation model, predicting a multi-source composite measure of self-regulation at each of 4-5 years and 6-7 years. By controlling for earlier self-regulation and covariates, the model examined the relative contributions of a comprehensive range of variables to self-regulation change including health, development, educational, home environment, time-use, and neighbourhood characteristics. Results The significant predictors of children’s self-regulation growth across 4 to 7 years were fewer behavioural sleep problems, higher gross motor and pre-academic skills, lower levels of maternal and paternal angry parenting, and lower levels of financial hardship. There were also marginal effects for high-quality home learning environments and child-educator relationships.Conclusion Findings suggest that if we are to successfully foster children’s self-regulation skills, interventionists would do well to operate not only on children’s current capacities but also key aspects of their surrounding context.