As university faculty, I often collaborate with teachers when young children experi- ence learning or behavior chal- lenges. Every child is different. Some have difficulty express- ing their ideas verbally. Some struggle to get along with peers or follow classroom routines. In each case, however, one thing
is the same: improved learning and behavior requires strong self-regulation skills.
According to Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute and author of Mind in the Making, regulating one’s thinking, emo- tions, and behavior is critical
for success in school, work, and life (2010). A child who stops playing and begins cleaning up when asked or spon- taneously shares a toy with a classmate, has regulated thoughts, emotions, and behavior (Bronson 2000).
From infancy, humans automatically look in the direction of a new or loud sound. Many other regulatory functions become automatic, but only after a period of intentional use. On the other hand, intentional practice is required
to learn how to regulate and coordinate the balance and motor movements needed to ride a bike. Typically, once one learns, the skill becomes automatic.