Relations between Preschool Children's Planning Ability, Self-Regulation and Early Literacy Skills

Thirty preschool children (18 boys, mean age = 54 months, SD = 6.82, range = 39 to 67 months) were recruited from a local University preschool center. Experimenters visited the preschool on one occasion and administered planning and inhibitory control tasks. Teachers’ reported on children’s temperament and data regarding early literacy skills. Consistent with expectations, teacher-rated attention focusing and inhibitory control were associated with better observed inhibitory control. Results unexpectedly showed that higher observed inhibitory control and lower teacher-rated anger/frustration, sadness, high intensity pleasure, and impulsivity, and higher teacher-rated inhibitory control and soothability were associated with a greater number of trials needed for successful completion of the two planning tasks. Perhaps children with better inhibitory control and lower overall difficulties in temperament were more likely to persist to completion in the face of task complexity.