How OCASA’s Zones of Regulation Support Kid's Emotions

How does your child feel today?

Choosing the right school for your child is not just about academics; it is about ensuring they feel emotionally supported, understood, and empowered. Do schools offer social-emotional learning activities? At OCASA, we do.

We implement an essential strategy for emotional regulation and recognition called The Zones of Regulation, a framework that all students learn at our schools. This approach provides students with a simple way to identify and talk about their emotions by categorizing them into four color-coded zones. In this blog, we will explore what the Zones of Regulation are, how they benefit your child, strategies to handle different emotions, and why we have integrated them into our curriculum.

What are the Zones of Regulation in schools?

The Zones of Regulation is a structured framework designed to help students understand, identify, and manage their emotions. It is a comprehensive social-emotional learning curriculum that supports self-regulation and emotional control.
At OCASA, we integrate this curriculum into our classrooms, organizing feelings, energy levels, and states of alertness into four distinct color-coded zones.

The Zones

Blue Zone: At this Zone, we are at a low state. We could be feeling sick, sad, tired, or bored. Our brain and body are moving slowly and sluggishly. This is where we need to help our body wake up, regain focus, and feel better. What can I do if I am in the blue Zone?

• Ask for a break
• Talk to a grown-up
• Have a drink of water
• Ask for a hug
• Ask for help
• Sensory break

Green Zone: In this Zone, we are in control of our emotions. We feel happy, calm, okay, focused, and ready to learn. We have the ideal amount of energy to be in a regulated state of alertness. What can I do if I am in the green Zone?

• Smile
• Learn
• Be kind
• Listen
• Help other
• Work hard

Yellow Zone: In this Zone, we experience more intense emotions as we feel frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, and have lost some control. We are in a heightened state of alertness with a bit too much energy. During this Zone, we need help to calm ourselves. What can I do if I am in the yellow Zone?

• Use a fidget
• Talk to a grown-up
• Ask for help
• Have a drink of water
• Take a deep breath
• Sensory break

Red Zone: In this Zone, we struggle to control our emotions. We feel angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, mean, out of control, and need time and space. What can I do if I am in the red Zone?

• Walk away and find a grown-up
• Ask for help
• Count to 10
• Take a deep breath
• Count as many red things as you can see
• Sensory break

What is Sensory Break?

A sensory break is a short break that helps people efficiently manage sensory input and recharge their attention. Some sensory strategies include:

• Use of a fidget toy
• Blowing bubbles
• Squeezing playdough or scrunching up paper into a ball
• Reading
• Drawing
• Counting
• Deep Breathing
• Rolling on an exercise ball
• Using a trampoline
• Listening to a calming music

How to Remember the Zones?

A simple way to help children remember the Zones is by using a traffic light system:

• Blue Zone: It can be considered a rest area where you pull over as you are tired and need to recharge.
• Green Zone: Your child is good to go. Ready to learn.
• Yellow Zone: Caution, slow down, or take warning.
• Red Zone: Stop, take a break, and reset.

Why We Use the Zones of Regulation at OCASA

At OCASA, we have implemented the Zones of Regulation to:

• Help students recognize and understand their emotions.
• Expand students' emotional vocabulary to express their feelings effectively.
• Encourage empathy by helping students recognize emotions in others.
• Develop problem-solving skills, social-emotional learning skills, and emotional recognition.
• Teach students personalized strategies for self-regulation (their "personal toolkit").

All Zones Are Okay!

At OCASA, we teach students that all Zones are okay. Everyone experiences different emotions as part of being human. More importantly, we have SEL activities for elementary students to learn that they can be in more than one Zone at a time. The key is recognizing what Zone they are in and making positive choices to navigate their emotions effectively.
To support emotional regulation at home, you can utilize strategies mentioned for all the zones.

If you have any questions or would like more information, do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to support you.

Good Reads for You and Your Children