ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of how self-regulation develops, with a focus on what early childhood educators can do to lay a foundation for the development of these skills. Intentionally modeling strong self-regulation abilities is also an important part of promoting children's self-regulation development. Early childhood is also when children experience significant growth in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain related to self-regulation. Creating an environment that effectively supports children's self-regulation development during early childhood through building secure relationships, modeling, and using an authoritative caregiving style is important because this is a key developmental period of growth for self-regulation. The chapter concludes by sharing specific tips for ways that educators can promote self-regulation through building secure and trusting relationships with children, modeling strong self-regulation skills, and adopting caregiving and teaching practices that promote critical thinking and perspective taking.
