A Yoga Intervention for Young Children: Self-Regulation and Emotion Regulation

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Educational Psychology
• Mind-Body Interventions

Background:

• Yoga interventions show promise for improving student self-regulation.
• Limited research exists on yoga's effects for early primary grades, a critical period for self-regulation development.
• Economic disadvantage can impede self-regulatory skill development in young children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effects of an eight-week yoga intervention on self-regulation and emotion regulation in economically disadvantaged pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children.

Main Methods:

• A paired within-subjects comparison study design was employed.
• Nine classrooms were divided into a yoga intervention group (Treatment First) and a wait-list control group (Treatment Second).
• Assessments were conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention for the yoga group, and post-intervention for the control group.

Main Results:

• Children in the yoga intervention group showed significant improvements in a behavioral task of self-regulation.
• Teacher-rated submissive venting and total behavior problems significantly declined following the yoga intervention.
• The study provides evidence for yoga's positive impact on young children's self-regulatory capacities.

Conclusions:

• Yoga-based interventions can effectively enhance self-regulation and emotion regulation skills in economically disadvantaged young children.
• Findings support the integration of yoga into early childhood education settings, particularly for vulnerable populations.
• Future research should include follow-up assessments and evaluate fidelity of implementation for yoga programs.