Self-Regulation

• The why and the what today... and some of the how! 

• Self-regulation- the why:  

• self-regulation lays a foundation for a child’s long-term physical, psychological, behavioral, and educational well-being (Shanker, 2012)

 self-regulation - the what: Dr. Shanker defines self-regulation like this:

• Self-regulation is the ability to manage stress. It refers to the neural processes that control the energy expended to deal with a stressor and then recover. When an individual’s stress levels are too high various systems for thinking and metabolic recovery are compromised. The signs of dysregulation can show up in the behaviour, mood, attention, and/or physical well-being of a child, teen or adult. 

• 5 Domains: biological, cognitive, emotional, social and prosocial

Dr. Stuart Shanker is a Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy, Psychology, and Education at York University 

check out:

http://www.self-regulation.ca/

http://www.self-reg.ca/shanker-self-reg/

 *****see Across Cultures*****

 What is self-regulation? 
"Self-regulation is the ability to attain, change, or maintain an appropriate level of alertness for a task or situation" (Williams & Shellenberger, 1996). (from The Alert Program site)

Self-regulation in the Kindergarten document (2010) is defined as "a deep, internal mechanism that enables children as well as adults to engage in mindful, intentional, and thoughtful behaviors.” (p. 51)

 Self-regulation involves attention skills, working memory, and cognitive flexibility – qualities that provide the underpinning for essential skills needed throughout life, such as planning and problem-solving skills (ibid., p. 4).

Self-regulation allows children to have positive social interactions and sets a pattern of behaviour that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Children demonstrate:

• social self-regulation when they are able to regulate their behaviour. For example, they can focus their attention, follow instructions, cooperate with the teacher and other children, and remember things they need to know and do;

• emotional self-regulation when they are able to control aggression, and when they are aware of and able to respond to the feelings of others (e.g., recognizing that their “outside voice” may disturb others and using their “inside voice” instead).

SELF-REGULATION AND STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

* see p. 8 in Learn - The Magazine of BC Education, 2012