The Regulation Related Skills Measure (RRSM)

Executive function and regulation-related skills are central to children’s academic and social-emotional success in early childhood.  A number of methods are currently available to measure these skills, ranging from computer/behavioral tasks targeting specific skills (e.g., inhibitory control) to adult reports of broader behavior and clinical symptoms (e.g., ADHD).  At present, however, there is no tool available that is designed to objectively capture children’s deployment of regulation related skills contextualized within the classroom setting.

The RRSM is an ecologically valid measure of children's executive function and regulation related skills for use in early childhood classroom settings.  Trained researchers and practitioners can use the RRSM to observe and code children's behaviors during normal classroom interactions, with a focus on their ability to sustain and shift attention, avoid impulsive reactions, remember rules, follow instructions, and solve complex problems.  Early evidence suggests that children's scores on the RRSM are correlated with their performance on traditional measures of executive function, as well as learning outcomes.

The RRSM was developed through a collaboration between Dana McCoy and Stephanie Jones at HGSE, and Deb Leong and Elena Bodrova of Tools of the Mind, with funding from the Bezos Family Foundation. 

To access the RRSM and its supporting materials, please visit our website.