Self-Regulation

Self-Regulation has been a focus in Early Learning. What is self-regulation? How can we as educators promote the development of self-regulation?

“Self regulation is the ability of children to regulate their own emotions, behaviours, and attention increase over time with maturation, experience and responsive to relationships.”

FDELKP Draft 2010 page 6-7.

Dr. Stuart Shanker: Kindergarten Matters Video clip It’s About Self Regulating. Shanker shares the following message:

-Play based learning is the best way for children to learn how to self-regulate

-What is the difference between self-regulation and compliance?

-Important that we always reinforce the importance of safety for self and others

-regulating one’s behavior is about understanding purpose for one’s behavior

-Educator’s knowledge base and play based learning are critical to children developing self regulation; a child needs space to find what fascinates them as well as the things that they want to do/learn about

-play based learning creates a passion for learning and learning requires self-regulation = the importance of the three BIG blocks of time to: Work to Learn, Play to Learn, Listen to learn – makes it explicit for children as to their purpose in Kindergarten

What conditions might help children to self regulate?

-knowing every child and their learning needs

-asking good questions to elicit student understanding/feelings

-modeling what it feels like and sounds like to be calm and alert to learn?

-lead children through a process of self-discovery and self-regulation

What else can Educators do?

-Educators need to stay regulated and help each other become self aware; stay calm and alert

What needs to be considered?

-need to re-think the role of the teacher and the child

-encourage stay on task, re-directing their own learning

-opportunities to communicate student thinking and show case their learning

-co-constructing learning centers (e.g., pizza store…create a list of what should be in the pizza store)