Teachers supporting children’s self-regulation in conflict situations within an early years setting

Human relationships, and the effects of relationships, are the building blocks of healthy development.

(Shonkoff and Phillips 2000: 27)

This chapter presents the findings of the first phase of an action research project with children in a Bedfordshire nursery school, the aim of which was to investigate the extent to which 3-and 4-year-olds have the capacity to self-regulate their emotional and social behaviour within conflict situations in a classroom. The objective was to trial ways in which teachers can support young children’s social and emotional self-regulation.