Praise That Empowers: Training Preschool Teachers to Linguistically Adapt Behavior-Specific Praise for Hispanic Students

Children’s engagement in early ages is critical for promoting behavioral, academic, and social-emotional outcomes. However, engagement in classroom activities may be difficult for young children who have not mastered the primary language used in early childhood education settings (i.e., English). Research regarding engagement in English Language Learners (ELLs) in preschool settings, as well as cultural and/or linguistic adaptations of classroom interventions to serve this population is limited. Behavior-specific praise (BSP) has been an effective strategy to improve behavior in preschool classrooms. The current study used a multiple-baseline design across three Head-Start teachers to test the efficacy of in situ training model followed by goal setting (i.e., to fade consultation supports) at increasing teachers’ BSP in English and Spanish; as well as the effect of teachers’ increased use of BSP in children’s behavior. Data about teachers’ use of BSP as well as target child (i.e., Hispanic child) and class wide display of AEB and DB were collected at a moment of the day in which the teacher reported low engagement in the target child. Social validity data from the teachers were also collected. All participants showed an immediate increase in the use of BSP in English and Spanish following in situ training. Teachers’ use of BSP remained above baseline levels during goal setting. Target child and class wide data showed an increase in AEB and decrease in DB following teacher’s increased use of BSP. Teachers rated in situ training, goal setting, and BSP (i.e., in English and Spanish) as socially valid.