Zones of Regulation at Maple Infants' School
The Zones of Regulation is a conceptual framework used to help children with self-regulation and self-control. This type of system to categorises complex feelings into 4 colours and helps children (and adults!) to improve their ability to recognise and communicate how they're feeling in a safe, non-judgmental way.
This approach teaches children to use strategies or tools to help them move between zones. We are keen to share these approaches with you as parents and carers, as they can also be used in the home to support talking about emotions and developing self-regulation skills.
The Zones of Regulation is a conceptual framework used to help children with self-regulation and self-control. This type of system to categorises complex feelings into 4 colours and helps children (and adults!) to improve their ability to recognise and communicate how they're feeling in a safe, non-judgmental way.
This approach teaches children to use strategies or tools to help them move between zones. We are keen to share these approaches with you as parents and carers, as they can also be used in the home to support talking about emotions and developing self-regulation skills.
The Zones of Regulation categorises states of alertness and emotions into four coloured zones of RED, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE.
It is important to know that it's fine for children to experience all of these emotions while they're at school.
There is no bad zone, but it is important to learn and use strategies that would help children get to their Green Zone.
It is important to know that it's fine for children to experience all of these emotions while they're at school.
There is no bad zone, but it is important to learn and use strategies that would help children get to their Green Zone.
|
|
So, what are the different zones?
The Blue Zone
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness, such as when you feels sad, tired, sick, or bored. This is when your body and/or brain is moving slowly or sluggishly.
The Green Zone
The Green Zone is used to describe a regulated state of alertness. A child may be described as calm, happy, focused, or content when in the Green Zone. This is the zone children generally need to be in for schoolwork and for being social. Being in the Green Zone shows control. This is the optimal zone!
The Yellow Zone
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness; however, a child has some control when in the Yellow Zone. A child may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, nervousness, confusion, and many more slightly elevated emotions and states when in the Yellow Zone (such as wiggly, squirmy, or sensory seeking). The Yellow Zone is starting to lose some control.
The Red Zone
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness or very intense feelings. A child may be experiencing anger, rage, explosive outbursts of behaviour, panic, terror, or elation when in the Red Zone. Being in the Red Zone can best be explained by not being in control of your body.
The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, we are “good to go”. A yellow light means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when a child is in the Red Zone this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to a layby or car park sign where you go to rest or re-energize.
The Blue Zone
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness, such as when you feels sad, tired, sick, or bored. This is when your body and/or brain is moving slowly or sluggishly.
The Green Zone
The Green Zone is used to describe a regulated state of alertness. A child may be described as calm, happy, focused, or content when in the Green Zone. This is the zone children generally need to be in for schoolwork and for being social. Being in the Green Zone shows control. This is the optimal zone!
The Yellow Zone
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness; however, a child has some control when in the Yellow Zone. A child may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, nervousness, confusion, and many more slightly elevated emotions and states when in the Yellow Zone (such as wiggly, squirmy, or sensory seeking). The Yellow Zone is starting to lose some control.
The Red Zone
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness or very intense feelings. A child may be experiencing anger, rage, explosive outbursts of behaviour, panic, terror, or elation when in the Red Zone. Being in the Red Zone can best be explained by not being in control of your body.
The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, we are “good to go”. A yellow light means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when a child is in the Red Zone this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to a layby or car park sign where you go to rest or re-energize.
|
How are some children currently being supported through the zones in our school? Staff are currently providing strategies to help children around the school regulate their bodies and get back to the green zone. This may include move ‘n’ sit cushions, colourful visuals e.g. in the form of emotional thermometers or coloured cards on staff lanyards, fiddle toys, chewies etc. Visuals are around the school to help remind children of the different zones, next to colourful baskets. It’s lovely to see staff stopping to model and talk to children about ‘I’m in the green zone, where are you?’ etc on the displays around the school. And what are the baskets for? For many of our children, simple distractions can sometimes be all it takes to help refocus their emotional state or reduce their sensory seeking behaviours. The coloured baskets have small items that can be simply grabbed to provide a suitable distraction e.g. a spinning top, a wind-up toy, a small pot of playdough, squishy ball, some bubbles to blow etc. It can often be the way that when you need to provide a distraction, you have nothing to hand! |
|
Other strategies linked to the zones
Distractions are one strategy, but you may like to think about using some of the following also (this list is not exhaustive and not every strategy will work with every child all of the time!) The Blue Zone Sit on a bean bag (or in a comfy spot) Take a walk Go for a short run or jog Have a snack Share happy thoughts with an adult Draw a picture Listen to some music The Yellow Zone Meditation or use a calming jar (a jam jar filled with glitter water that you shake up and watch it settle) Wall push-ups Have a snack Go for a short run or jog Mindfulness colouring Take some deep belly breaths Yoga Squeeze a ‘stress’ ball The Red Zone Mindfulness colouring Take some deep belly breaths Lazy 8 breathing Sit on a bean bag (or in a comfy spot) Yoga Count to 10 Talk through the problem with an adult to help make informed choices Punch a pillow Tear up some old newspaper |
|