A six months’ prospective study of the relations between children’s self-regulated learning skills and maternal supportive behaviors

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relations between different aspects of maternal support of learning and children’s self-regulated learning (SRL) skills and task performance over time. Thirty-five mothers and their kindergarten children were examined twice during joint problem-solving, in a six months period. Children’s SRL skills and maternal support during engaging in visual-spatial and language tasks were recorded via observation. Maternal cognitive support, emotional and motivational support, autonomy support, and maternal contingency were examined. Results showed that early maternal autonomy support and maternal contingency were significantly associated with children’s developing SRL skills and task performance in the visual-spatial tasks six months later. Children’s early cognitive-metacognitive skills mediated the above relations. The theoretical, methodological and practical contribution of the study is discussed. •Early cognitive-metacognitive skills were linked to later task performance.•Early maternal contingency was related to children’s later task performance.•Early maternal autonomy support was associated with later emotional-motivational skills.•Early maternal autonomy support was linked to later children’s autonomy skills.•The above associations regarded only the visual-spatial tasks.