A better future

Self-regulation is an often forgotten cornerstone of early childhood development. BestStart educators tell us how they teach this, and share resources on how you can too.

Self-regulation helps children manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours, fostering resilience and cooperation. It enables children to resist temptations, wait for rewards, take turns, work well with others, and handle difficult emotions like anger, fear, and frustration. 

The developmental stage between ages three and seven is especially critical for acquiring these skills. As part of understanding the best way to help children develop these skills, around half of BestStart Centres nationwide are currently involved in the Kia Tīmata Pai research study, with 1600 preschoolers participating. This four-year study explores the individual and combined effects of oral language and self-regulation interventions, marking a groundbreaking approach in early childhood research. 

As part of this study, a group of BestStart centres are implementing the ENGAGE programme, created by Associate Professor Dione Healey of the University of Otago. This is a games-based method aimed at teaching self-regulation through planned play activities. The skills being learnt fall into three categories: emotional (feeling), cognitive (thinking), and behavioural (doing). ENGAGE games are designed to be played for a short time daily, specifically aimed at nurturing key self-regulation skills that support children’s future academic success and pave the way for a healthy, rewarding adult life. 

While the results of the study aren’t due for some time, BestStart has also partnered with Raising Children, a parent resource website, to bring to life how developing self-regulation skills within a play based educational framework can prepare children for a successful future. 

Parents play a vital role in reinforcing self-regulation at home too. The ENGAGE programme's games can be easily adapted for home use and additional resources, videos and guidance are available from raisingchildren.org.nz/stories/self-regulation.

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