Age-Specific Changes of Activity Self-Regulation in Preschool-Age and Early School-Age Children

This research aimed to study age-specific changes of activity self-regulation in children entering school. Children involved in the research were healthy and didn't have any learning or behavioural difficulties; the research comprised three age groups: 6—7 year old, 7—8 year old and 9—10 year old children. Various components of such functions as activity programming, regulation and verification (i.e. planning functions) were assessed in a neuropsychological examination using a specially developed technique. According to this examination, planning functions formation undergoes progressive changes in preschool-age and early school-age children. A significant improvement in the child's ability to delay his/her spontaneous reactions, to maintain the acquired activity programme, to mediate the child's own actions, and to accept help from an adult can be seen at the age of 7—8 years. Progressive changes in acquiring programmes and developing activity strategies occur chiefly by the age of 9—10. Therefore, the data obtained in the research provide evidence for the heterogeneity in the development of various components of planning functions in children from 6 to 10 years old.

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