How to detect the emotions of others (read others’ facial expressions)
What may trigger certain emotions
How others may interpret their behaviour
Problem solving skills
WHY TEACH THE ZONES OF REGULATION?
Provides a common language to discuss emotions – a language that is non-judgemental
The Zones of Regulation is simple for children to understand but is helpful for all!
The Zones teach healthy coping and regulation strategies.
Clear progression across the curriculum (overview and home learning).
Blue Zone:
sad, sick, tired or bored (low state of alertness – brain and/or body is moving slowly or sluggishly).
Green Zone:
in control, calm, happy and ready to learn (regulated state of alertness).
Yellow Zone:
more intense emotions and states but able to maintain control, worried, frustrated, silly, excited, scared or overwhelmed (heightened state of alertness but you still have some control).
Red Zone:
elated, angry, wild, terrified. (heightened state of alertness and out of control).
KEY POINTS:
There is no ‘bad’ Zone.
Everyone experiences all of the Zones at different times and in different circumstances.
We can’t change the way children feel BUT we can help them manage their feelings/states and behaviours. “It’s OK to be angry but it is not OK to hit…”
You can be in more than one Zone at a time (eg. sad AND angry).
If your child is confidently using words to describe their emotions, they don’t need to revert to Zones language
HOWEVER it is useful for them to know the strategy groups that will help them (Eg. sick or tired = blue zone strategies)
