SELF-REGULATION, EMOTION EXPRESSION & CLASSROOM ...

Shields, 2004) and exhibit more positive classroom learning behaviors, such as a child’s
attention/ persistence, attitude towards learning, and competence motivation (Schaefer
& McDermott, 1999; Spinath & Spinath, 2005).
These associations between a child’s developing self-regulatory abilities, on-task
involvement and classroom learning behaviors are apparent throughout early childhood
(Graziano, Reavis, Keane, & Calkins, 2007; Halberstadt et al., 2001; Miller, Gouley,
Seifer, & Shields, 2004). For example, a child’s regulatory capacity has been found to be
an important component in children’s achievement of classroom goals such as
maintaining attention and sustaining positive peer interactions in preschool,
kindergarten and into primary school (Adelman & Taylor, 1991; Graznio et al., 2007;
Miller et al., 2004; Miller, Fine & Gouley, 2006). In addition, a child’s ability to
alternately shift and focus attention, inhibit impulsive responding in classroom
situations is linked to their early academic achievement (Graziano et al., 2007; Valiente,
Lermery-Chalfant, Swanson, & Reiser, 2008). This finding may be, at least partially,
attributable to results suggesting that young children who struggle with certain aspects
of self-regulation – those who are persistently disruptive or uninvolved – tend to receive
less instruction from teachers, have fewer opportunities for learning from peers, are less
positive, less engaged, and less motivated as active learners (Arnold et al., 2006).
These findings further bolster the view that self-regulatory abilities are critical, even
in the face of the commonly held assumption that intelligence generally plays the
primary role in children’s early academic achievement (Arnold et al., 2006; Blair & Razza,
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