Self-Regulation Development 3-5

Self-Regulation Interventions in Early Childhood Programs (3-5 years) (4)

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/acf_report_4_final_rev_11182016_b5082.pdf

“In considering self-regulation interventions for children during the preschool years, it is first helpful to reflect on the key characteristics of normative development at this age when self-regulation demands are manageable and developmentally typical. As described in Box 6a below, several cognitive regulation skills are developing rapidly along with language skills which support impulse control and rule following. Skills in managing emotions increase and allow young children to calm themselves and tolerate some frustrations and distress. However, in situations where adversity or stressors are prolonged or severe, self-regulation development may lag. To support self-regulation development, co-regulation through the activities listed in the table is needed. Such supports can be provided by caregivers (i.e., parents, teachers, mentors, or program staff) through interacting with young children either at home or in child care settings such as Head Start.

It is also useful to briefly review some of the specific data for self-regulation intervention studies and outcome results for this age group (see Box 7b), the details of which can be found in Report 3 at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/resource/self-regulation-and-toxic-stress-report-3. Interventions in this developmental group include several well-established social-emotional programs like PATHS, Incredible Years, ParentCorps, Head Start REDI, Tools of the Mind, and the Chicago Schools Readiness Project (CSRP). Specific intervention studies reviewed and their outcomes across domains can be found in Tables C3-C5 in Report 3, Appendix C.”

Characteristics from the above link:

"Focused attention increases but is still brief
Begins to use rules, strategies and planning to guide behavior appropriate to situation
Delay gratification and inhibit response for longer periods
Perspective-taking and empathy support protocol goals
Language begins to control emotional response and actions
Tolerate some frustration and distress apart from caregiver (self-caring skills emerge}"

See link above for "How Caregivers Can Provide Co-Regulation