Zones of Regulation- Another Tool in Your Toolbox
One of the most important aspects of executive functioning is our ability to notice, label, and manage emotions, a complex skill known as emotional regulation. Being able to regulate emotions throughout the day is invaluable, and it directly supports lifelong success. The earlier a child develops strong regulation strategies, the more confident and independent they will become as learners and as adults.
Parents, caregivers, and educators all play a vital role in helping children build this foundation. One of our favorite frameworks at Your Learning Toolbox (YLT) is the Zones of Regulation, a thoughtful, multisensory curriculum designed to make the abstract concepts of social-emotional learning more concrete and actionable.
What Are the Zones of Regulation?
Created by occupational therapist Leah Kuypers in partnership with the Social Thinking® curriculum, the Zones of Regulation organizes feelings, energy levels, and states of alertness into four easy-to-understand “zones.”
🔵 Blue Zone: Low energy or alertness - tired, sad, sick, bored. Strategies aim to increase energy (e.g., go for a walk, stretch).
🟢 Green Zone: Calm, focused, “ready to learn” - happy, content, centered. Ideal for active learning at school.
🟡 Yellow Zone: Heightened but in control - silly, excited, worried, frustrated. Helpful strategies include deep breathing, water breaks, or fidgets to re-center.
🔴 Red Zone: Intense emotions, loss of control - anger, panic, extreme elation. Often requires strong strategies and adult support to return to regulation.
What makes this framework so powerful is the reminder that no zone is “bad.” All zones are natural and expected. We shift through them depending on our environment and experiences: blue when sick, green while doing homework, yellow at a birthday party, and red in an emergency.
How Does It Work?
The curriculum is built around 10 modules that teach children to recognize their zones, identify body cues, and practice regulation strategies. The program is highly multi-sensory, engaging, and flexible; it can be embedded into classrooms, reinforced at home, and used in therapy or coaching sessions.
With recent updates, the Zones curriculum now includes digital tools, games, and visuals that make learning even more accessible and fun for students.
Who Benefits?
The Zones of Regulation is designed for students ages 4 and up and can be implemented across schools, homes, and provider settings. Teachers, parents, and therapists alike benefit from a shared language and set of strategies to support emotional growth.
How We Use It at Your Learning Toolbox
At YLT, we integrate the Zones of Regulation into our daily work with students:
1:1 sessions: Some students work directly through the curriculum with their YLT coach.
School alignment: When students are learning the Zones at school, we mirror and reinforce the lessons during tutoring sessions.
Check-ins: At the start of each session, we use a Zones “check-in” to help students pause, notice body cues (e.g., “my heart is racing”), label emotions (e.g., “I feel anxious”), and identify their zone (e.g., “I’m in the yellow zone”). This empowers students to name their experiences and helps coaches tailor strategies to meet their needs.
Why We Value This Curriculum
The Zones of Regulation is more than just a framework, it’s a roadmap for teaching emotion regulation in a clear, effective way. It aligns beautifully with our mission at YLT: to empower students, parents, and providers to expand their toolbox of strategies, celebrate differentiation, and build independence.
We have seen firsthand how transformative the Zones can be in helping students feel understood, supported, and equipped with the tools they need to thrive. We’re grateful for this curriculum and look forward to continuing to use it with our students, families, and partner schools.
