Delay of gratification in first grade: The role of instructional context

•Delay of gratification predicts child outcomes when context is considered.•Non-instructional time is related to poorer outcomes for those with low delay skills.•More teacher-managed instruction attenuated the impact of poor delay skills.

Delay of gratification, an aspect of self-regulation, describes the ability to inhibit impulsive behavior and shift attention from temptation towards goal-directed behavior. The ability to delay gratification is a highly valued skill in the early years of school. Using a Child × Environment model, this study of 176 first graders investigates the combined contribution of children's ability to delay gratification and amount of exposure to three common instructional contexts across the school year in predicting children's academic achievement and learning-related classroom behavior. Two interesting patterns emerged. First, more time spent in non-instruction led to less fall-to-spring improvement in math and poorer ratings of learning-related behavior the lower a child's ability to delay gratification. Second, more time spent in teacher-managed instruction attenuated the association between low delay of gratification and poor school outcomes (i.e., math achievement, learning-related behaviors). Findings are discussed in terms of the varying amount of self-regulatory burden placed on children dependent upon instructional context.