Emotional scaffolding in early childhood education

Emotions can either help or hinder students’ learning. This is especially true in early childhood education. This article analyzes data on how two early childhood teachers account for students’ emotions in their teaching, a process we call “emotional scaffolding.” These teachers use emotional scaffolding for three main instructional purposes: 1) to create an emotional climate in their classrooms; 2) to manage students’ excitement levels; and 3) to maintain students’ interest in classroom learning. This article differentiates emotional scaffolding within instruction in early childhood education from other uses of the label found in the literature. Lastly, the article suggests a framework for researchers to use to analyze emotional scaffolding in early childhood classrooms.