SELF-REGULATION, EMOTION EXPRESSION & CLASSROOM ...

eginning of preschool or child care is a transition that significantly tests a young child's
regulatory ability. From very early on, preschoolers' hot and cool executive control
abilities are almost completely dedicated to ensuring success with their peers and the
adults within their new environment (Thompson, 1994). Children have to learn very
quickly that there is a high social cost of dysregulation with both teachers and peers.
Almost every aspect of play with peers and interaction with teachers in the preschool
setting necessitates self-regulation of some sort (e.g. initiating, maintaining, and
negotiating play, and earning acceptance; Rimm-Kaufman, 2000; Raver et al., 1999;
Raver & Zigler, 1997).
Further, it is understood that children enter school with differing levels of
regulatory abilities (Lin, Lawrence, & Gorrell, 2003; Rubin et al., 2003). In fact, some
have suggested that there is a substantial proportion of children who appear to not
demonstrate these regulatory skills early-on; they are simply not able to interact with
peers, follow directions, participate in group activities, sit still, or work independently
without becoming agitated or distracted (McClelland, Morrison, & Holmes, 2000).
Consequently, these children are put at far greater risk for concurrent and subsequent
peer rejection, decreased levels of academic achievement, and psychopathology (Ladd,
Birch, & Buhs, 1999; Sroufe, Schork, Motti, Lawroski, & LaFreniere, 1984). However,
through a great deal of trial and error, and adult support, most children do obtain the
skills necessary to regulate or amplify the emotions and behaviors that are necessary
and helpful for successful functioning in the classroom, to calm those that are not
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