Expanding Your Zones of Regulation Toolbox

Purpose & objective

Developing well-rounded students is like putting together a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle where pieces should all fit together, but it's not as easy as it looks. You make progress before being stymied by trying to find the perfect fit for a puzzle piece.

The purpose and objective of this session are to develop an understanding of self-regulation strategies and approaches. It is complicated for students to understand what they're feeling and to channel those feelings in ways that help them be better people and better learners. Emotional intelligence is imperative for student success: knowing what emotions are, how they work, and how to use them and manage them for social interaction and learning. Students also need the capacity to recognize other people's emotions, to discriminate among the different feelings, and to label them appropriately to be successful in an ever-changing world. For example, using Google Forms, polls integrated into an LMS, and other data collection resources provide teachers the opportunity to analyze the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the social and emotional components of learning.

Another objective expands upon social thinking approaches to help guide social and emotional development. Using discussion forums, Slack, or a private Flipgrid are tools for students and teachers to monitor the Zones of Regulation.

Another objective is to show how a morning choice opportunity provides students the opportunity to learn how to use strategies or tools to manage their feelings and behaviors in each zone. Given each student’s needs and preferences are unique, students explore various calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports, building a toolbox of methods to use to regulate and move between zones. Breathing apps and resources help students calm their feelings and move about the zones.

However, self-regulation takes a lot more than knowing about tools. To deepen students’ understanding of how to self-regulate, it is vital to understand triggers or different events which can impact how the students are feeling.

Supporting research

Anderson, S., Bartholow, B., Jirikowic, T., Nash, J., Snow, J., and Stratiner, M., (2017, November). Developing Self-Regulation in Children with FASD Using the Zones of Regulation. SIS Quarterly Practice Connections. 2(4)5-7




Kuypers, L. (2011). The Zones of Regulation: A curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control. San Jose, CA: Thinking Social Publishing, Inc.




Kuypers, L. (2016, November). All the Zones are OK! Tips for Managing the Zones You're In. Social Thinking. Retrieved from https://www.socialthinking.com/Articles?name=all-the-zones-are-ok&utm_source=newsletter_nov_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_allthezonesareok




Novotny, S., & Kravitz, L. (n.d.). The Science of Breathing. Retrieved July 11,
2015.




Novotny, S., & Kravitz, L. (n.d.). The Science of Breathing. Retrieved July 11,
2015.