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Zones of Regulation

In our effort to support the emotional well-being and social development of our young learners, the Elizabethtown Area School District uses the Zones of Regulation program aimed at helping our elementary students better understand and manage their emotions.

The Zones of Regulation program is an innovative, evidence-based framework designed to help students understand and manage their emotions, fostering a supportive learning environment where students are better equipped to succeed academically and in life. It uses a color-coded system comprising four zones to categorize emotions and corresponding strategies for managing them. These zones are:

  • The Blue Zone: Students learn to identify feelings of sadness, tiredness, or boredom and develop strategies to move into the Green Zone.
  • The Green Zone: This is the optimal zone for learning and interacting. Students work on understanding and expressing their feelings of happiness, calmness, and focus.
  • The Yellow Zone: Children explore feelings of frustration, anxiety, or excitement in this zone. They learn to recognize when they are entering the Yellow Zone and develop strategies to either return to the Green Zone or, if necessary, move to the Red Zone.
  • The Red Zone: In this zone, students recognize intense emotions like anger, panic, or aggression. They are taught to identify their triggers and employ effective coping strategies to return to the Green Zone.

Throughout the school year, students engage in interactive lessons, discussions, and activities to reinforce these concepts, empowering them to make informed emotional choices that support their academic learning efforts. The District believes that the Zones of Regulation program plays a vital role in our mission to ensure every student graduates ready to live, learn, and thrive in a global community.

The Zones of Regulation program is a key component of the District’s Culture of Belonging philosophy, which pairs academic offerings with opportunities that foster emotional readiness, social skills, and teamwork to optimize the school experience and help propel graduates to pursue their desired path after graduation.