Strengthening Emotional Development and Emotion Regulation in Childhood—As a Key Task in Early Childhood Education

Ramona Thümmler, Eva-Maria Engel and Janieta Bartz
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Ramona Thümmler: Faculty Rehabilitation Sciences, TU Dortmund University, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
Eva-Maria Engel: Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Intervention, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, 73525 Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
Janieta Bartz: Department Health and Social Work, IU International University of Applied Sciences, 99084 Erfurt, Germany

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: The following article deals with emotional development and the development of emotion regulation skills in children during early childhood education, focusing primarily on the importance of the early childhood teacher. Emotion regulation is important for success and wellbeing in further life. It is developed in interaction with parents as attachment figures. Teachers can also be important persons for the child in the context of bonding. This leads to the question of how early childhood teachers can support children learning to regulate their emotions. We analyze with the content analysis, four programs for promoting social and emotional skills that are currently used in Germany. The main question is if the programs include elements that increase teachers’ skills in supporting the children in regulating their emotions. The categories to analyze the programs are derived from theories of teacher-child interaction. In addition to programs for promoting emotional and social development, we will discuss aspects of shaping interaction as essential elements in promoting emotion regulation. The conclusion outlines some key implications for educational practice and the importance of developing professional behavior for qualitative teacher-child interactions.

Keywords: emotion regulation; teacher-child-interaction; early childhood development; intervention program (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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