Pilot program fosters self-regulation
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. -- Charles SwindollSecond graders at Waterman School were introduced to The Zones of Regulation, a curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control. For the kickoff event, students rotated between classrooms to learn about four color zones representing various states of alertness and feeling. This pilot program is the result of a grant awarded to teachers Doreen Richichi and Laura Vincent by the Skaneateles Education Foundation. If successful, the district will continue it into third grade next year.
http://zonesofregulation.com/
Self-regulation is something everyone continually works on, whether cognizant of it or not. “We all encounter trying circumstances that test our limits from time to time. If we are able to recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to feel better and get ourselves to a better place,” the Zones website says. “This comes naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation (or Zones for short).”
The Zones curriculum provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of, and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs, and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts.