Developing Self-Regulation Through Peer Relationships
The Moderating Roles of Classroom Emotional Support and Free Play in Preschool
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14983293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thomas Wei (0009-0004-8955-8007, University of Virginia, corresponding author), Amanda Williford (0000-0002-8626-3906, University of Virginia), Jason T Downer (0000-0001-8827-242X, University of Virginia) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 245-267 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Early Education and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1040-9289 • E-ISSN: 1556-6935 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10409289.2025.2585293 |
| OpenAlex | W4416051108 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 61 |
Recent empirical studies in early childhood education indicate that peer relationships are an underexamined contributor to preschoolers’ school readiness. Self-regulation, a core aspect of school readiness, is an important predictor of future mental/behavioral health and academic achievement and may be developed in relation to appropriately structured peer interactions. Identifying mechanisms for promoting self-regulation through channels that are immediately accessible to school systems (i.e. peer relationships) may help schools establish symbiotic ecosystems that promote positive child development. In a sample of preschools serving primarily low-income families and children, this study examined the extent to which positive peer engagement is longitudinally associated with three related but distinct types of self-regulation in classrooms that provide varying levels of free play opportunities and teacher emotional support. Research Findings: Results indicate direct effects of peer engagement on engagement with tasks, with no significant findings for emotion regulation or behavioral control. Contrary to our hypothesis, the relationship between peer engagement and behavioral control was stronger in classrooms with less emotional support. Practice or Policy: Results have potential to inform how schools can promote self-regulation in preschool classrooms with limited resources and may suggest ways that schools can supplement existing self-regulation development initiatives by leveraging peer relationships
Child development · Early childhood education · Emotional development · Emotional support · Peer group · Preschool education · Child Therapy and Development · Early Childhood Education and Development · Education Methods and Practices
An Introduction to Multilevel Modeling Techniques
Evaluating Montessori Education
School Readiness and Self-Regulation
Low-Income Ethnically Diverse Children's Engagement as a Predictor of School Readiness Above Preschool Classroom Quality
Observations of Children's Interactions with Teachers, Peers, and Tasks across Preschool Classroom Activity Settings
Teacher–child relationships, classroom climate, and children’s social-emotional and academic development.
Preschool peer interactions and readiness to learn
Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling
The Classroom as a Developmental Context for Cognitive Development
Children's Engagement Within the Preschool Classroom and Their Development of Self-Regulation
Self-Regulation in Early Childhood
Measures of Classroom Quality in Prekindergarten and Children’s Development of Academic, Language, and Social Skills
Peer Effects on Children’s Language Achievement During Pre-Kindergarten
The Relative Performance of Full Information Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Missing Data in Structural Equation Models
Multiple imputation using chained equations
Emotion-focused teaching practices and preschool children’s social and learning behaviors
What you say, and how you say it
Exploring dyadic teacher–child interactions, emotional security, and task engagement in preschool children displaying externalizing behaviors
An investigation of preschool classroom behavioral adjustment problems and social–emotional school readiness competencies
Variation in children's classroom engagement throughout a day in preschool
Observed quality of classroom peer engagement in a sample of preschoolers displaying disruptive behaviors
Assessment of preschool play interaction behaviors in young low-income children
Teacher-child racial/ethnic match within pre-kindergarten classrooms and children’s early school adjustment
The Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System (inCLASS)
Activity settings and daily routines in preschool classrooms
Playing with others
Engagement in social pretend play predicts preschoolers’ executive function gains across the school year
Emotion regulation among school-age children
How does inhibitory control predict emotion regulation in preschool? The role of individual children’s interactions with teachers and peers
Peer effects on Head Start children’s preschool competency
The Relationship of School Structure and Support to Suspension Rates for Black and White High School Students
But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy
Links between behavioral regulation and preschoolers' literacy, vocabulary, and math skills
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |