Mothers' scaffolding of children's problem solving: establishing a foundation of academic self-regulatory competence.
The study examined relations between dimensions of mothers' scaffolding and children's academic self-regulatory behaviors in school. Mothers and their preschool children (68 dyads) were visited in their homes the summer before the child entered kindergarten. Mothers' metacognitive content and manner of instruction, emotional support, and transfer of responsibility were coded as mothers provided assistance to their children during 4 problem-solving tasks. Children's self-regulatory behaviors were assessed the following school year. Metacognitive content and manner of instruction were predictors of child behaviors related to cognitive awareness and management: metacognitive talk, monitoring, and help seeking. Emotional support and transfer of responsibility were related to children's task persistence and behavior control in school. Mothers' scaffolding appears to lay the foundation for children's subsequent academic self-regulatory competence.
Neitzel
Carin
C
Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Indiana University, 201 North Rose Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, USA. cneitzel@indiana.edu
Stright
Anne Dopkins
AD
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011340:Problem Solving; D012944:Social Support