Some of the challenges that early childhood teachers face include how to deal with a growing diversity in student populations, how to reduce learning gaps, and how to increase the achievement of all children (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). The number of children who are English language learners (ELLs) is growing fast schools in the United States today and their limited English proficiency in an English- language school setting contributes to wide and persistent achievement gaps between these English learners and English-proficient students (Calderón, Slavin, & Sánchez, 2011). Emerging early in life and persisting throughout the school years, these gaps have serious consequences for ELLs and for society as a whole. In an effort to improve the language skills, literacy, and academic achievement of ELLs, many studies have examined effective instructional strategies. One possible way to deal with the challenges facing early childhood teachers is the use of positive emotional experiences in the classroom. Positive emotional experiences that enhance learning can be called "emotional scaffolding," a term that borrows from Vygotsky's concept of "scaffolding" and combines it with an awareness of the role of emotion in the learning process (Meyer & Turner, 2007). A study that explores emotional scaffolding in the early childhood context is important because of the tremendous potential for improvement in ELLs' learning engagement. Therefore, the purpose of study described here is to explore how a prekindergarten teacher makes pedagogical decisions that could be considered emotional scaffolding.