Emotion Coaching in an Inclusive Setting: Training Preschool Special Educators

Abstract

Early childhood is a significant time for emotional development and the formation of self-regulation skills. This study took place at an early childhood center and involved training early childhood special education teachers about emotion coaching. Emotion coaching is speaking with children about their emotions by helping them identify how they are feeling and talking about it. Teachers at this school received training on emotion coaching in an effort to promote the inclusion of all children into the preschool setting to fit their individual needs. This site included children at risk, children that qualify for special education, and typically developing children. Sixteen preschool educators attended a training session on emotion coaching, given by a certified trainer, at an early childhood center as part of typically scheduled staff training. After the training, the teachers participated in a series of surveys to provide information about their experience working in an inclusive classroom and, as educators, what they learned, how they will implement what they learned, and how they might put those thoughts into practice. Implications of this study include finding out if teaching special educators about emotion coaching helps them feel more confident and able to include all children into preschool.