Self-Regulation for Adolescents: Teaching Middle School Students to Manage Their Own Behavior

by Stephen W. Smith, Michelle Cumming

Overview

The purpose of this book is to be a resource for general and special education teachers and other school professionals in using evidence-based approaches to teach self-regulation strategies to early adolescent students who exhibit behavior problems in late elementary school and middle school. There are limited practical school-based, guidance books that are rooted in robust theory and research that focus on teaching early adolescents' self-regulation skills – skills critical to school- and life-long success. Educators will gain an in-depth understanding of the theory, research, and application of self-regulation instruction as it relates to early adolescents' behavioral competence and school- and life-long success. With an emphasis on fostering student self-regulation skill development in the areas of goal setting, emotion regulation, and social problem solving, readers will be able to incorporate evidence-based strategies rooted in a cognitive-behavioral approach to build early adolescent competence in each of these areas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798881800864
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/03/2026
Pages:	1
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Stephen W. Smith, Ph.D. is a professor of special education at the University of Florida (UF) teaching graduate courses in special education research, emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and principles of prevention of behavior problems in education. His research focuses on effective behavioral prevention strategies, executive function, and the self-regulation of behavior (goal-directed effortful control of thought, action, emotion), issues related to aggression and violence in schools, and understanding verbal aggression of students with EBD. Dr. Smith has been Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of 29 federal and state-funded research/development grants and is the author of 24 professional books and book chapters. Dr. Smith has presented over 200 professional papers and research findings at many state, regional, national, and international professional conferences. He has been invited to speak about educational issues in Ireland, Australia, and Taiwan. While at UF, Dr. Smith has received three teaching awards, a University Research Award, and has served twice as a UF Distinguished Research Professor. For 2013-2014, he was one of six recipients of a university-wide Doctoral Mentoring Award for outstanding work with doctoral students. He was the Irving & Rose Fein Endowed Professor from 2012-2015. Most recently, Dr. Smith was awarded the 2018 Distinguished Researcher Award from the American Education Research Association, Special Education special interest group and the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Education, University of Kansas. Dr. Smith was a Panel Scientist for the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences for six years and is on the Editorial Board of a variety of professional journals in education, special education, and psychology. Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas, he was a teacher of special education students for eight years.
Michelle Cumming, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Special Education at Florida International University (FIU) with a strong record of preparing pre- and in-service teachers and leaders in special education. With the intent of improving the short- and long-term outcomes of students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), Dr. Cumming has focused her research on the identification and treatment of neurocognitive needs underlying emotional and behavioral disorders, with a concentration on stress, self-regulation, and executive function. Critical to the quality of education and supports students with EBD receive in schools, Dr. Cumming also researches the manner in which special educators' working conditions contribute to their instruction and intent to stay in teaching. In support of her work, Dr. Cumming has received external funding on five federal and foundation grants as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator. Dr. Cumming's research has been published in top-tier journals (e.g., Exceptional Children, Review of Educational Research), and she has presented at numerous national and international conferences. Dr. Cumming has also received recognition for her scholarly work via multiple research-related professional (e.g., Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Research, Appreciation of Service and Leadership) and university (e.g., FIU Top Scholar) awards. Dr. Cumming is the associate editor for the Elementary School Journal and serves on the editorial board and guest reviewer for multiple professional journals in education. Prior to receiving her Ph.D. in special education (with a minor in research and evaluation) from the University of Florida, she was an elementary school teacher and learning specialist for PK–8th grade students

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: Self-Regulation: An Introduction
Chapter 2: Teaching Self-Regulation Skills in the Classroom
Chapter 3: Teaching Goal Setting Skills
Chapter 4: Teaching Emotion Regulation Skills
Chapter 5: Teaching Social Problem-Solving Skills
Chapter 6: Helping Students to Generalize Their Self-Regulation Skills
Chapter 7: What About Students Who are at Risk for or Are Receiving Special Education?
Chapter 8: Considering the Role of Stress and Trauma when Building Self-Regulation Skills
Chapter 9: Bringing it All Together: The Importance of Collaboration