Gracias por Mirarme: Training Preschool Teachers to Use Linguistically Adapt Behavior-Specific Praise
This study demonstrates that in situ training combined with goal setting effectively increased Head Start teachers' use of linguistically adapted behavior-specific praise in both Spanish and English, leading to improved engagement and reduced disruptive behavior among Multilingual Learners and the class as a whole.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
In the bustling environment of a preschool classroom, the most powerful tool a teacher possesses is not a curriculum or a toy, but a specific kind of attention. When a child behaves well, a simple "good job" can reinforce that behavior, but research has long shown that naming the exact action—saying "thank you for sitting quietly"—is far more effective. This technique, known as behavior-specific praise, acts as a clear signal to a child about what they did right, making it much more likely they will repeat that action. For children who are learning English while their home language is something else, this connection becomes even more critical. These young learners often face a double challenge: mastering new academic concepts while simultaneously navigating a language they do not yet fully understand. Without a bridge between their home language and the classroom, they can feel disconnected, leading to frustration and a lack of engagement. The question researchers have been asking is whether teachers can be trained to use this powerful tool in a child's primary language, and if doing so can help these children feel seen and included.
A team of researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi set out to answer this question in a real-world setting. They worked with three teachers at a Head Start program in the southeastern United States, where the majority of the children spoke English, but a small number spoke Spanish at home. The teachers had expressed concern that their Spanish-speaking students were not fully participating in circle time and were sometimes acting out. To address this, the researchers introduced a training method called in situ training. This approach involves a consultant sitting quietly in the classroom and using a small, one-way radio device to whisper prompts directly into the teacher's ear. When a child behaves well, the consultant prompts the teacher to give a specific compliment, but with a twist: the teacher is prompted to say it in Spanish for the Spanish-speaking children and in English for the others. Before the training began, the teachers practiced the pronunciation of the Spanish words with the consultant to ensure they felt confident.
The results of this intervention were immediate and striking. Before the training, the teachers rarely used specific praise in Spanish, often giving zero examples during observation periods. Once the whispering prompts began, the teachers started using the technique consistently. They began delivering about one specific compliment per minute in English and another in Spanish. Crucially, the researchers wanted to know if the teachers could keep doing this without the constant prompts. To test this, they introduced a goal-setting phase where the consultants stopped whispering and simply asked the teachers to aim for a certain number of compliments. Even without the radio prompts, the teachers continued to use the Spanish praise, though at a slightly lower rate than during the training. They maintained a steady stream of positive feedback that was significantly higher than before the study began.
The impact on the children was just as clear as the change in the teachers' behavior. The Spanish-speaking children, who had previously struggled to stay engaged, began to participate much more actively. They looked at the teacher, answered questions, and followed instructions at much higher rates. At the same time, their disruptive behaviors, such as wandering around the room or speaking out of turn, dropped significantly. The entire class benefited from this shift; as the teachers became more skilled at giving clear, specific praise, the general atmosphere of the room improved, and all the children, regardless of the language they spoke, showed better focus and fewer behavioral issues.
One of the most important findings of this study is that learning to praise in a second language did not take away from the teachers' ability to praise in English. The teachers managed to increase their use of Spanish praise without reducing the frequency of their English praise for the other students. This suggests that adding a linguistic layer to classroom management is not a zero-sum game where helping one group hurts another. The teachers also reported that they found the training useful and the strategy effective. One teacher noted that she could see the children smiling and looking at her when she used the Spanish phrases, a reaction she had not seen as often before. While one teacher had to leave the study early due to other professional demands, the two who completed the process showed that with the right support, educators can successfully integrate a child's home language into their daily interactions.
This study offers a practical solution for a common problem in early education. It demonstrates that with a little bit of direct support and a willingness to learn a few key phrases, teachers can make a profound difference in the lives of children who are learning English. By simply saying "thank you for listening" in a child's home language, teachers can build a bridge of understanding that helps children feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. The research confirms that these small, specific moments of connection are not just nice to have; they are essential tools for helping young learners thrive in a diverse classroom.
Drowning in papers in your field?
Get daily digests of the most novel papers matching your research keywords — with technical summaries, in your language.