Metacognition—knowledge, monitoring, and regulation of cognition—is key to learning and academic achievement. This is robustly supported for K-12 and higher education learners while empirical evidence in early childhood is encouraging but limited. To address these gaps in the literature, our first goal was to investigate early metacognition across two developmentally appropriate measures. Our second goal was to examine associations to executive function and motivation. Participants were 77 preschoolers, aged 3–5. Metacognition was measured using a metacognitive knowledge interview (declarative metacognition) and a metacognitive skills observational scale (procedural), both in the context of a problem-solving puzzle task. Executive function was assessed with the Head Toes Knees Shoulder measure and motivation was operationalized as persistence (time on task) on the puzzle. All children exhibited evidence of metacognitive knowledge and skills. Declarative and procedural metacognition were significantly and positively related to one another and to executive function and motivation, though to varying degrees. Controlling for language and age, metacognition significantly and positively predicted executive function and motivation. Metacognitive knowledge predicted executive function and metacognitive skills predicted motivation. Results contribute to psychology and education by reinforcing recent findings that metacognition develops far younger than was originally thought, and explicating relations between and providing models for assessing early metacognition, executive function, and motivation. We propose that these skills are intentionally fostered in early childhood.

元认知（知识的认知，监控和调节）是学习和学习成绩的关键。这为K-12和高等教育学习者提供了有力的支持，而儿童早期的经验证据令人鼓舞，但作用有限。为了解决文献中的这些空白，我们的首要目标是研究两种在发育上适当的措施中的早期元认知。我们的第二个目标是检查与执行功能和动机的关联。参加者为3至5岁的77名学龄前儿童。在解决问题的难题任务中，使用元认知知识面试（陈述性元认知）和元认知技能观察量表（过程性）来衡量元认知。执行功能通过“头脚趾膝盖”肩膀评估，动机通过坚持不懈（任务时间）来实现。所有儿童均表现出元认知知识和技能的证据。陈述性和程序性元认知之间，以及在不同程度上与执行功能和动机之间存在显着正相关。控制语言和年龄，元认知显着并积极预测执行功能和动机。元认知 元认知显着并积极预测执行功能和动机。元认知 元认知显着并积极预测执行功能和动机。元认知知识预测执行功能，元认知技能预测动机。通过加强最近发现元认知比最初想象的要年轻得多的发现，并阐明两者之间的关系并为评估早期元认知，执行功能和动机提供模型，研究结果有助于心理学和教育。我们建议在幼儿期有意识地培养这些技能。