Coaching Teachers to Support Child Communication Across Daily Routines in Early Head Start Classrooms

Abstract

This study investigates the use of a situated coaching protocol in Early Head Start (EHS) classrooms to increase teachers' use of communication facilitation strategies with children identified with delays during typical play and caregiving routines. A single-case, multiple baseline design across 3 EHS teachers and children with communication delays was used to examine the effectiveness of coaching on teacher strategy use and child outcomes. A situated coaching approach that included directly teaching naturalistic communication strategies, demonstrating, observing, offering feedback, and facilitating teacher reflection, was implemented with fidelity in the classroom. The teachers increased their use of the communication facilitation strategies in both types of routines, although rates of implementation were higher in play than in caregiving activities. The child participants increased their rates of communication during the 6-week intervention. Teachers maintained strategy use in a follow-up 3 months after the study.