Description
New updated emotions illustrations!
Inclusivity and representation of all learners are important to us! We are pleased to announce that we have included a more diverse representation of characters within our Zones emotions illustrations throughout the 2021 printing of the curriculum book. While eight characters can’t possibly embody all the spectrum of humanity, we hope that learners see glimpses of themselves and those they know among this new cast. Download the new free Zones Emotions Reproducibles.
Please note: There are copies of this book in circulation with a USB that may not include these newly updated illustrations. Updated versions of select Reproducibles are available for download to all The Zones of Regulation curriculum users.
The Zones of Regulation® is a framework and easy-to-use curriculum for teaching students strategies for emotional and sensory self-management. Rooted in cognitive behavioural therapy, The Zones approach uses four colours to help students identify how they are feeling in the moment given their emotions and level of alertness as well as guide them to strategies to support regulation. By understanding how to notice their body’s signals, detect triggers, read social context and consider how their behavior impact those around them, students learn improved emotional control, sensory regulation, self-awareness, and problem-solving abilities. Learning activities and visual supports are included in the new download link, which replaces the old USB (check the inside back cover of the book for the link address).
Using a cognitive behavioural approach, the curriculum’s learning activities are designed to help students recognise when they are in different states or “zones,” with each of four zones represented by a different colour:
The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions. A person may be elated, euphoric, or experiencing anger, rage, explosive behavior, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone.
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however individuals have more control when they are in the Yellow Zone. A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.
The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone. This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.
The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.
All of the zones are natural to experience, but the framework focuses on teaching students how to recognise and manage their zone based on the demands of their environment and the people around them. Learn more in the article, All the Zones are OK! Tips for Managing the Zones You’re In.
The Zones of Regulation curriculum teaches students how to use calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports to stay in a zone or move from one zone to another. Lessons touch on how to read others’ facial expressions and recognise a broader range of emotions in self and others, considering others’ perspectives and the impact our behaviours have on others, building greater insight into events that trigger our students’ less regulated states, and when and how to use tools and problem solving skills. Concepts from the Social Thinking Methodology are incorporated throughout the curriculum to help students develop awareness of how their behavior impacts the thoughts and feelings of others. By tying in Social Thinking concepts, the lessons on self-regulation become more meaningful to the students’ lives as they gain a deeper understanding of the impact their behavior has on their relationships.
In addition, there are three Zones of Regulation posters to support the concepts in the classroom. Posters can be found here: Zones of Regulation Poster, Zones STOP, OPT and GO Poster and Zones Triggers Poster. All three posters are Dry Erase, so you can write on them!
The curriculum also includes worksheets, other handouts, and visuals to display and share. These can be photocopied from this book or from the accompanying USB drive for easy printing.
The free “Zones of Regulation Implementation & Fidelity Checklist” can be found here.
Who can teach The Zones of Regulation?
The curriculum is designed to be taught by anyone who works with students who struggle with self-regulation. This can include, but is not limited to, special education and regular education teachers, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, psychologists, counselors, behaviourists, social workers, and parents. Throughout the text, the user is referred to as “teacher”; however, this does not mean you need to be a classroom teacher to teach the lessons.
Who can benefit from The Zones?
The Zones curriculum is designed for students who struggle with self-regulation, as described more fully in the next section. Sometimes deficits in regulation could be a manifestation of a neurobiological disorder and/or a social-learning challenge, but not everyone who has difficulty regulating has a diagnosis. Initially the curriculum was developed for students with neurobiological and mental health disorders, such as an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder, selective mutism, and anxiety disorders. However, it became apparent that the curriculum can reach a much broader population. All people in general can benefit from The Zones of Regulation, not just the students. When one student starts using The Zones, often parents and teachers find it helps the other children and even themselves. Adults who teach The Zones report better insight into their own states and become more aware of the tools they can use to regulate. Everyone experiences difficulties in regulation from time to time, prompting many regular education teachers to adopt it for use with their whole class.
The Zones lessons are designed to be used with students as young as preschool age (around four years old) if cognitively they are at or above average intellect, elementary students, secondary students, and adults. Where relevant, the lessons suggest ways to do the activities with younger students (preschool to early elementary years) and older students (upper primary or middle school through high school or adulthood). More mature secondary age students and adults may feel that some of the activities are too “childish” for them but can still benefit from the discussions laid out in the lessons. The depth of understanding will vary depending on the students’ age and grade level, cognition, and maturity, and teaching expectations need to be tailored for specific students and groups. For example, you would rarely set a goal for a preschool student to independently regulate by using a tool when facing a stressful situation. You will want to customise how concepts are presented depending on the age and grade level of the students; with younger students, you’ll need to simplify some of the discussions.
Although the majority of the lessons are targeted toward students with average to above-average intelligence, some accommodations are provided to allow you to adapt activities for more cognitively involved students or those with less language. Students with lower cognition may not develop as deep an understanding of The Zones, but with consistent exposure, many are able to gain awareness of their zones and follow visual supports to guide them to activities that aid in self-regulation. You may need to further adapt the concepts presented when you teach students with cognitive impairments.
The rest of this chapter explores the components of self-regulation, explains how the curriculum developed, and describes The Zones themselves and related vocabulary. In Chapter 2, you’ll learn what you need to do to begin using the lessons with your students. The curriculum’s lessons are presented in Chapters 3, 4, and 5. Chapter 6 includes additional background information about the conceptual basis for The Zones. The Appendix includes frequently asked questions, a set of goals that can be used for IEP documents, recommended resources, footnotes, and the bibliography.
About the Author
Leah Kuypers, MA Ed., OTR/L, is the creator of The Zones of Regulation®, a framework designed to teach self-regulation. She is the author of the book and two apps by the same name. In addition to working with students, Leah provides trainings and consultation to parents and professionals on self-regulation and challenging behavior, and conducts workshops on The Zones framework to groups around the world. Explore her webinars and trainings on her website, www.zonesofregulation.com. She resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, son, daughter, and their dog.
Training in the “Zones”
The Social Mind regularly hosts Leah Kuypers in Australia to conduct her very popular one-day training program on the “Zones”. Join our mailing list via the slot at the bottom of our Home page and you will receive notification about the next training opportunity.
Extension Products
You can extend learning by using the following extension products Navigating The Zones and the Advanced Extension Pack and Game Cards.
In addition, there are three Zones of Regulation posters to support the concepts in the classroom. Posters can be found here: Zones of Regulation Poster, Zones STOP, OPT and GO Poster and Zones Triggers Poster. All three posters are Dry Erase, so you can write on them!
If your child or client is a visual learner, using YouTube clips and movies is a really accessible and fun way to teach about the social world. YouCue Feelings and Movie Time Social Learning by Dr Anna Vagin are great companions to The Zones of Regulation.
Leah Kuypers, says of YouCue Feelings: “This is a must have resource for teachers, therapists and parents supporting the development of social emotional skills. Through the use of engaging videos, YouCue Feelings provides learning activities that appeal to students, making learning fun and builds fundamental skills in emotional recognition in self and others, social cognition and contextual awareness.”
How Do I Feel – Interactive Reading Book of Emotions by Joan Green. Due to popular demand we have imported copies of this book recommended by Leah Kuypers in The Zones of Regulation. Professor Tony Atwood also recommends this book. Lot’s of people put pressure on us to import it so it’s now available!
About the Zones of Regulation App
Extend learning with The Zones of Regulation app and the Exploring Emotions app! Developed by author Leah Kuypers and software company Selosoft, Inc., they supplement the lessons in the book with interactive games filled with adventure and rewards. Learners build their own strategy toolbox, identify triggers, and can even graph the Zones they experience across the day, providing data collection on self-regulation. Apps available on Google Play, Amazon, and the Apple App Store.
Explore all the resources dedicated to The Zones of Regulation in one place
Browse our dedicated Zones of Regulation page to find everything you need to help you teach The Zones of Regulation and see why this social emotional learning curriculum has been adopted across thousands of classrooms worldwide.
Publishing Information
- Ages: 4-18+
- Author: Leah Kuypers
- Published: 2011
- Publisher: Think Social Publishing
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 182
- This book no longer comes with a USB, it’s been replaced by a download link (check the inside back cover of the book).
- Item: 3162
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