This study addressed questions about the function of children's various participation and regulation strategies in different instructional contexts and at different points in time in school. The developmental trajectories of kindergartners' academic participation and regulation strategy selection and use across the school year in teacher-directed and child-centered instructional contexts were investigated. Sixty-eight children participated in the study. To assess academic participation and regulation strategies, the children were observed in their kindergarten classrooms during teacher-led and child-directed activities on four occasions throughout the school year. At the start of kindergarten, the young children participated more frequently during teacher-directed activity than during student-centered activity; however, the children used deeper-level participation strategies and regulated more frequently in student-centered activities than in teacher-directed activities. Additionally, there were unique trajectories of change in the children's profiles of participation and regulation strategy use over the school year, in general as well as within and across instructional contexts. The study findings also indicate that early participation and regulation strategies may differentially influence future patterns of participation and regulation.