At Fielding, we recognise the importance of promoting emotional wellbeing and positive mental health to our pupils and their families. We aim to create an open culture around the discussion of well being and to empower our children to be able to identify and regulate their emotions. By implementing the Zones of Regulation curriculum, we aim to teach our pupils to identify emotions in themselves and others and provide them with a toolbox of strategies, to help regulate their emotions and improve their wellbeing.

The Zones of Regulation is a range of activities to help your child develop skills in the area of self-regulation. Self-regulation can go by many names, such as self-control, self-management and impulse control. It is defined as the best state of alertness, of both the body and emotions, for the specific situation. For example, when your child plays in a football game, it is beneficial to have a higher state of alertness. However, that same state would not be appropriate in the library.

The Zones of Regulation is based around the use of four colours to help children self-identify how they are feeling and categorise it based on colour – green, blue, yellow and red. The curriculum  helps children better understand their emotions, sensory needs and thinking patterns. The children learn different strategies to cope and manage their emotions based on which colour zone they are in. Additionally, the Zones of Regulation helps children to recognise their own triggers, learn to read facial expressions, develop problem-solving skills, and become more attuned to how their actions affect other people. It links with our values of respect, reflection, resilience and empathy. It demonstrates our MindUp strategies and techniques and is aligned to our behaviour policy.

There is progression across the curriculum with children in Early Years learning to name and identify different emotions using ‘The Colour Monster’ book, to children in Key Stages 1and 2 discussing how our behaviour can impact upon the feelings of those around us.

Talk through the zones with your child. Ask them how they would feel in each zone?
 

• Discuss what emotion they feel in each zone e.g. in the yellow zone I may feel worried

• How would they physically feel e.g. in yellow zone, I may have butterflies in my stomach or have sweaty palms (if feeling anxious)

• Discuss what might they be doing- what will be their actions e.g. in yellow zone, would they be pacing around, snapping at others, fidgeting?

• Then discuss how to help them move into the green zone e.g. if I was in the yellow zone and feeling anxious, I might find competing some yoga stretches/ breathing techniques helps me get back into the green zone.

• Create a list of strategies that work for the child- Remind the child that we are all unique and the strategies that work for one person, might not help them, so they need to think about what would help them. Each child should have their own toolbox.

Remind them that we will experience all zones, there are no good or bad zones. Our success in regulating our emotions depends on us recognising our emotion, understanding it and putting a support strategy in place.

Detailed below is a list of books, that can be used to explore and discuss how to regulate feelings, with your child.

Zones of Regulation Book Nook

There will be a parent drop in next month to discuss in more depth. Parent Workshop in the school house -  6/10/22 9.15-10.15