Self-Regulation in Learning: The Role of Language and Formative Assessment

In their new book, Alison L. Bailey and Margaret Heritage illustrate how to help students become more self-regulated learners-that is, to be able to monitor and take charge of their own learning when working independently and in groups. Language provides the foundation for the development of self-regulatory skills, enabling students to express themselves and negotiate interactions with others; the demands of these self-regulatory processes in turn can support the development of rich vocabulary and social language skills. The authors also emphasize the role of formative assessment as a means of supporting students in engaging in language-rich, selfregulated learning.

Self-Regulation in Learning shows how classrooms can be intentionally designed to support ambitious learning. Detailed vignettes from real-life classrooms illustrate the teacher’s role in helping students gradually master the processes of selfregulation, socially shared regulation, and coregulation. Each chapter also includes strategies for addressing the needs of English learners in the general education classroom.

Students’ capacity for self-regulation is central to the set of outcomes that constitute college and career readiness: communicating and collaborating effectively, problem-solving, setting goals and following through on them, and applying knowledge in deep and rigorous ways. Self-Regulation in Learning represents an invaluable contribution to research-based classroom practice.