Campus Location
Dallas Campus (Online)
Date of Award
10-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Educational Leadership
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Committee Chair or Primary Advisor
Anne Steketee
Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor
Andrew Mcleod
Third Committee Member or Committee Reader
Porchanee White
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted young children’s opportunities for social interaction and emotional development, creating new challenges for early childhood educators as students returned to in-person learning. Little was known about how early childhood educators adjusted their instructional practices to support children’s emotional literacy following the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how early childhood educators adjusted their instructional practices to support children’s emotional literacy and socioemotional development following the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher collected data through semistructured interviews with seven early childhood educators employed in one large public school district in South Texas. Interview transcripts were analyzed using first- and second-cycle coding and thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns across participants’ descriptions. Four themes emerged from the analysis. Participants perceived that children demonstrated increased emotional regulation difficulties associated with disrupted social development and reduced opportunities for peer interaction following the pandemic. Participants also described increased challenges with empathy, social awareness, and peer relationships that required explicit instructional support. Educators reported embedding emotional literacy instruction throughout the school day by modeling emotional awareness, teaching regulation strategies, fostering classroom relationships, and providing consistent opportunities for practice. Finally, participants emphasized balancing emotional support with the gradual development of children’s independence and responsibility. The findings suggested that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s emotional literacy continued to be evident several years after students returned to school. Participants perceived that intentional, integrated emotional literacy instruction was essential for supporting children’s emotional regulation, empathy, and social v competence while fostering increasing independence. These findings may inform educational leaders, teacher preparation programs, and professional learning focused on strengthening emotional literacy instruction in early childhood classrooms.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Holdsclaw, Sandy Marie, "Rebuilding Emotional Literacy: Educator Strategies for Supporting Young Children’s Social- Emotional Needs After COVID-19" (2026). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1062.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/1062