Liu Ya'nan, a teacher at the RYB Education New World kindergarten in Beijing, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for child abuse on Friday.
She was also given a five-year ban from working a similar job, according to the verdict of a court in Chaoyang District.
Liu was arrested in December 2017 after prosecutors pressed charges against her for pricking toddlers who would not take a nap with needles to "discipline" them.
The child abuse scandal triggered public outrage and prompted the government to launch an inspection of nursery schools nationwide.
