This study investigated the kinds of self-regulated learning strategies used by kindergarten children related to effective problem-solving and examined their awareness of self-regulated behaviors. Participating in the study were 40 kindergarten children attending a primary school in the southeastern United States. Twenty-one high self-regulated learners (HSRLs) and 19 low self-regulated learners (LSRLs) were selected, based on the teachers' and researcher's classifications. A self-directed learning (SDL) task was used to test the quality of SDL learning. Children were asked to talk aloud and verbally explain to the researcher what they were thinking and how they were doing while involved in the SDL task and were probed to examine their knowledge of their SDL. At task completion, children were asked to evaluate their work. Findings indicated that 19 HSRL and 5 LSRL completed the SDL task successfully. There were significant group differences in time spent on planning, monitoring, and performing between successful and unsuccessful children. Unsuccessful children spent most of their time performing. Successful children spent a great deal of time planning and monitoring. Their performance was based on their understanding of the nature of each item and the relationship among items. They used integrated process of self-regulated learning toward completing the task related to their understanding of the whole task. Unsuccessful children's statements revealed that they performed the task with temporary goals, using some self-regulated learning strategies but in a limited and disconnected way. (Contains 25 references.) (KB)