Zones of Regulation

Zones of Regulation is renowned social and emotional framework which helps children to manage difficult emotions making a pathway to ‘self-regulation’. Self-regulation is best described as the best state of alertness for a situation. 

From time to time, all of us find it hard to manage strong feelings such as worry, anger, restlessness, fear or tiredness, and this stops us from getting on with our day effectively. Children who feel these emotions often find it hard to learn and concentrate in school.  The Zones of Regulation programme aims to teach children strategies to help them cope with these feelings so they can get back to feeling calm and ready to learn. These coping strategies are called ‘self-regulation’. This includes exploring tools and strategies for mindfulness, sensory integration, movement, thinking strategies, wellness, and healthy connection with others. The Zones of Regulation provides a common language and compassionate framework to support positive mental health and skill development for all.

At Mappleborough Green, we launched the Zones of Regulation throughout the whole school in 2020.  We want to teach all of our children good coping and regulation strategies so they can help themselves when they experience anxiety and stress. In the classroom, sometimes children panic when faced with a tricky learning problem or challenge. By teaching them how to cope with these feelings, we might make them better at tackling learning challenges and build better resilience so they don’t give up so easily when faced with difficulty.

Zones of Regulation Website Parents' Guide