The longitudinal relationship between preschoolers' self-regulation skills and early academic competences in elementary school. A systematic literature review

The impact of self-regulation skills on the development of early academic competencies has been widely emphasized. However, varying definitions of self-regulation exist, which are associated with different operationalizations. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of study results that have analyzed the impact of preschooler's self-regulation skills on their early academic competences in elementary school, by considering the different concepts of self-regulation. A systematic literature search in the bibliographic databases Web of Science, PsycINFO and Psyndex revealed 1.509 studies, of which 22 studies met further inclusion criteria. Despite differing measurements and definitions, the results consistently support the important role of preschooler's self-regulation skills for the development of mathematical competencies and literacy skills in elementary school. In particular, cognitive aspects of self-regulation seem to be related to academic achievement. Implications for early training measures and the transferability of the findings of the predominantly international studies to the German education system are discussed.