The Zones of Regulation

At school, we have been learning to recognise and express how we are feeling, and how to manage these feelings in a helpful way. We have been using The Zones of Regulation® to help us to do this.

The Zones of Regulation help to organise emotions into different coloured Zones, like in the picture above. For example, if your child feels happy and ready to do their school work, they would be in the ‘Green Zone’. If they were feeling excited or worried about something, they would be in the ‘Yellow Zone’. If they were feeling tired or sick, they would be in the ‘Blue Zone’.

How do you feel?

We have been learning that it is OK to be in any of the Zones, and that different things can make us move from one Zone to another. We have also been learning about strategies that we can use to help us change Zone, like take deep breaths, have a break for some water or a walk, or do some stretches. We would really like for children to be able to continue to practice using their Zones of Regulation to manage their feelings at home.

You could stick this handout somewhere in the house and encourage everyone at home to check which Zones they are in across the day – grown-ups included! Using the Zones of Regulation at home will support with your child’s ability to recognise, name, and regulate their own emotions. Take a look at these links below to find out more about The Zones of Regulation. If you would like to know more about The Zones in school, you can speak to the school SENCo.

Why Do We Lose Control of Our Emotions?