Zones of Regulation

A curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control

Age range – Key Stages 1 & 2. You will need to adapt how concepts are presented depending on the age and cognitive ability of the pupils. Some discussions may need to be simplified.

What is the Zones of Regulation?

The Zones provide teaching staff and parents with clear instructions to pupils through a set of sequenced lessons that encourage them to learn about their own regulation system and how they can adjust it. The Zones use 4 colours to help pupils visually and verbally self-identify how they are functioning in the moment, by understanding the emotions they feel and states of alertness.

Lessons are designed to help pupils understand their different emotions (feelings), sensory needs, and thinking patterns that result in each pupil shifting from one zone to another. Pupils explore a variety of tools (eg. Sensory supports, calming techniques and thinking strategies) that they can use to regulate what zone they are in and are taught when, why and how to use their tools.

The zones curriculum also helps pupils to gain an increased vocabulary of emotional terms, skills in reading facial expressions, insight on events that trigger their behavior, problem skills and much more.

What is self-regulation?

Sometimes referred to as “self-control”, “self-management”, “impulse-control” and many more. They are all terms that describe people’s ability to do what they need to do to be in the optimal state for the given situation. This includes regulating their own sensory needs, emotions, and impulses to meet the demands of the environment (eg classroom), reach their goals and behave in a socially appropriate way.

For example, someone who is faced with a stressful or frustrating experience can self-regulate successfully by remaining calm and organized to successfully negotiate the event. Someone who struggles to self-regulate will have difficulty coping and display maladaptive behaviours.

What are the Zones of Regulation?

The Zones of Regulation categorizes states of alertness and emotions into four coloured zones.

Blue Zone: used to describe low states of alertness, such as feeling sad, tired, sick or bored. This is when the body and / or brain is moving slowly or sluggishly.

Green Zone: used to describe a regulated state of alertness. This is when we are calm, happy, focused or content in the green zone. This is where we need to be for learning to take place and being social. The green zone = control.

Yellow Zone: used to describe a heightened state of alertness, however there is still some control in this zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, nervousness, confusion and many more elevated emotions and states (eg. Wiggly, squirmy or sensory seeking). The yellow zone is starting to lose control.

Red Zone: used to describe extremely high states of alertness or very intense feelings. A person may be experiencing anger, panic, terror, devastation, or elation when in this zone. Being in the red zone is overwhelmed by your feelings and having a loss of control.

This type of system helps pupils categorise the complex feelings and states that they experience whilst improving their ability to recognize and communicate how they are feeling in a safe and non-judgemental way. It also allows them to tap into strategies or tools to help move them between zones.

Programme format

There are 18 lessons that are each designed to take 30-60 minutes (depending on the size of the group). Ideally, sessions should be run once a week, taking 18 weeks in total.

The lessons are divided each divided into the same order:

1. Lead-in

2. Learning activity

3. Wrap-up

Some lessons include more than one activity or different ways to adapt them. Other lessons include additional learning activities which are extensions to the curriculum to reinforce key concepts.

Each lesson includes probing questions for discussions so that pupils can deepen their understanding and make connections between the concepts they’re being taught and their own lives.

Once a lesson has ended, it is important that those working closely with the pupils continue applying the concepts of the zones in meaningful ways throughout daily life. This can be done by the adult identifying when they themselves are in different zones and the tools they are using to self-regulate. In turn, an adult can ask the pupils what zone they are in and positively reinforce them when they try and use their tools.

It’s also important to discuss the circumstances or triggers with pupils that lead to a less regulated state and to incorporate the zones and its related tools to assist them in regulating.

Session format: key points

Ideally, the sessions should run in a group of 2-4 pupils (with 2 facilitators up to 10 pupils)

Although the sessions are designed for a group format, they can easily be adapted for 1:1 sessions

Best conducted in a circle that involved adults and pupils in all activities

When grouping, consider pupils with similar cognitive abilities so instructions can be geared to their levels

Also, consider pupils who can reflect on their own behavior and take on others perspective. For pupils who cannot, they may be better suited to 1:1 or 1:2

Incorporate some who have well-developed social skills to act as mentors / role models (on a rotating basis)

Overview of session visible on a whiteboard to reduce pupil anxiety

Foster a group identity - developing a sense of belonging in this social group is crucial. You could use a group name, and have a poster, logo and even a password.

Who can deliver the sessions?

Anyone who works with pupils who struggle with self-regulation, including: teachers, support assistants, learning managers, social workers, therapists or parents.

Here are a list of the Zone lessons:

Lesson 1 – Creating wall posters of the Zones

Lesson 2 – Zones Bingo

Lesson 3 – The Zones in video

Lesson 4 – The Zones in me

Lesson 5 – Understanding different perspectives

Lesson 6 – Me in my Zones

Lesson 7 – How do I feel?

Lesson 8 – My Zones across the day

Lesson 9 – Caution! Triggers ahead

Lesson 10 – Exploring sensory support tools

Lesson 11 – Exploring tools for calming

Lesson 12 – Exploring tools – thinking strategies

Lesson 13 – The Toolbox

Lesson 14 – When to use the yellow zone tools

Lesson 15 – Stop and use a tool

Lesson 16 – Tracking my tools

Lesson 17 – Stop, opt and go

Lesson 18 – Celebrating my use of tools

Where to purchase this resource

Directly from Amazon for £50 - 60:

The Zones of Regulation