What I like about 'The Zones of Regulation'

Students in the JK/SK class that I am part of are learning about Zones of Regulation.

For those of you who may not know about the Zones of Regulation, it is a curriculum created by Leah Kuypers, which  helps kids learn how to independently regulate and manage their emotions. 

What I especially like about this curriculum is that it provides students with clear and concrete visuals to identify and understand how they are feeling.

The visuals are divided into four different zones of regulation with each zone comprising of different emotions and states of alertness. 

The four zones of regulation are categorized as follows:  

The Red Zone is used to describe as an extremely elevated state of alertness and intense emotions. An individual in this zone may feel angry, enraged, or devastated.

The Yellow Zone  is used to describe an elevated state of alertness and elevated emotions. An individual in this zone has more control over their emotions than in the Red Zone. A person in this zone may feel stressed, frustrated, anxious, excited, silly or nervous. 

The Blue Zone is used to denote a low state of alertness and down feelings. An individual in this zone may feel sad, tired, sick or bored. 

The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. An individual in this zone might feel happy, focused, content or calm. 

I like the fact that the curriculum emphasizes that there are no good or bad zones of regulation or emotions. All emotions are normal and natural and may be suitable for different environments. For instance, at recess time or while playing sports, being in the Yellow Zone, which is in heightened state of arousal may be very suitable for that environment. The students may feel silly or excited and their emotions may not need to be managed.  Yet, when students enter a different type of environment such as a library or classroom, there are different expectations of which Zone they should be in. In a quieter learning setting, students are taught how to manage their emotions in order to enter the Green Zone, which is the zone where optimal learning occurs.  

I like how the Zones of Regulation curriculum helps students identify their emotions, teaches them how to express their feelings in a healthy manner as well as provides them with good strategies to move to the Green Zone.