Modeling
By demonstrating appropriate behavior, teachers show children how to accomplish a task and use the self-regulation needed to complete it.
For Lucy, Melissa modeled important language and social skills: she indicated her intention to join the activity by
pulling up a chair. She then asked Tricia a question about her activity, waited for an answer, and responded posi- tively. For Tricia, Melissa modeled how to invite a reluctant observer to play: she turned her attention to Lucy, offered
a play invitation, handed her an object, and asked her to make a play decision. When Lucy shrugged, Tricia followed Melissa’s lead and suggested a way Lucy could participate.
All these behaviors required self-regulation. To take conversational turns, children must recognize when their turn has ended, then listen and wait until it is their turn
again. They must then choose an appropriate response from unlim- ited possibilities. To ask a playmate about her play, a child must inhibit talking about her own play and
listen to someone else. Asking to play requires an anxious child to regulate emo- tion, inhibit passive behavior, increase arousal, and engage despite potential discomfort.
Of all the self- regulation Melissa modeled, perhaps the most important scaf- fold was calling atten- tion to the opportunity for Lucy to join Tricia. To actively engage in learning opportunities, children must attend
to and recognize that a situation offers the potential for interest- ing interactions and things to do. Adults can help children develop this regula-
tory skill in a variety ofways, beginning with
very young children. When adults hold infants or toddlers on their laps and point to objects or letters in a book while using their voices to indicate excitement, they help chil- dren focus their attention on images that are most impor- tant for learning. By getting the ball rolling, Melissa not only helped Lucy actively participate, but allowed Tricia to talk about her science activity and demonstrate to others how
to replicate her experiment.