Understanding the relation between behavioral self-regulation, academic learning, and children’s drawings in kindergarten

While research consistently demonstrates that behavioral self-regulation (BSR) is associated with early academic abilities, it may not yet account for the multiple ways in which young children symbolically communicate their knowledge. This study builds on previous research in the areas of early learning and self-regulation by including children's drawings as a method of accessing and assessing young children's learning and by exploring this relation over a two-year kindergarten program. Measures of BSR and academic skills (math, reading, writing, and drawing) were administered at the end of a two-year kindergarten program (Mage = 70.25 month) to 109 children (49 girls, 60 boys). Results from four separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that BSR significantly predicted academic skills (math, reading, writing, and drawing) after controlling for age and maternal education. Practical implications of these findings highlight how self-regulated behaviour in kindergarten fosters a wide range of academic development including drawing.