Zones of Regulation
The Zones of Regulation curriculum is designed to help children of all ages, including those with special educational needs, learn to self-regulate their emotions and behaviour. From time to time, all of us (including adults) find it hard to manage strong feelings such as worry, anger, restlessness, fear or tiredness, and this stops us from getting on with our day effectively.
The Zones of Regulation program is designed to teach children techniques for coping with these emotions, enabling them to return to a state of calmness and readiness for learning. This process of managing one's emotions is known as 'self-regulation'.
Furthermore, by teaching the skills of self-awareness and emotional regulation, we aim to foster empathy, resilience, and a strong sense of community among our pupils.
Meet the Zones
The Zones of Regulation framework is based around the use of four colours:
How will the Zones of Regulation be taught?
The Zones of Regulation will be taught throughout the whole school. We will be introducing them through discrete teaching lessons and through our PSHCE curriculum. We want to teach all of our children coping and regulation strategies so they can help themselves when they experience anxiety and stress. We will also be using the Zones language as part of daily school life. Displays and resources will be available in every classroom.
Children will be taught to identify and regulate their emotions. We teach our pupils to recognise which zone they are in and provide them with a toolbox of calming and alerting strategies to help them regulate. We explain that there is no bad zone but the most comfortable zone to be in is the Green Zone. We also encourage our pupils to talk about their feelings in a healthy way and recognise when other people are in different Zones, to develop better empathy.
By helping our pupils develop self-regulation skills, we are empowering them to manage their emotions and behaviours, which supports their overall academic and social-emotional growth.
How can you help your child use The Zones of Regulation at home?
As partners in your child's education, we encourage you to reinforce the Zones of Regulation at home. Here are some ways you can support this initiative:
Discuss the Zones:
Talk with your child about the different zones and how they feel in each one. Encourage them to share examples from their own experiences. Identify your own feelings using Zones language in front of your child (e.g.: I’m frustrated. I think I am in the Yellow Zone.”)
Model Regulation Strategies:
When you notice your child in a particular zone, model appropriate coping strategies, such as taking deep breaths, going for a walk, or engaging in a calming activity.
Provide Opportunities to Practise:
Create opportunities for your child to practise identifying and regulating their emotions, such as during playtime, mealtimes, or while completing homework.
Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and praise your child when you notice them using the Zones of Regulation tools to manage their feelings and behaviours. Share how their behaviour is affecting your Zone. For example, if they are in the Green Zone, you could comment that their behaviour is also helping you feel happy/ be in the green zone.
By working together, we can ensure that all of our pupils at Crowle Primary Academy develop the self-regulation skills they need to thrive, both in the classroom and beyond.