Self-Regulation

Leads to
School Success
ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
BY: ALYSSA KING
Introduction

u Career as 2nd Grade Teacher

u Self-Regulation
u Zones of Regulation Program
u Purpose
Literature Review

Definition of Self-Regulation
u “Self-regulation is the ability to control one’s impulsive feelings,
thoughts, and behavior in order to comply with social and personal
standards and to achieve long-term goals” (Van Prooijena, Huttemana,
Mulderb, Van Akena, & Laceulle, 2018, p. 29).
Literature Review

Neurological Components to Self-Regulation

u According to Kuypers (2011), to successfully self-regulate, three critical
neurological components need to be integrated including:
u Sensory processing
u Executive functioning
u Emotional regulation
Literature Review

Self-Regulation in School
u Self-regulation uniquely predicts academic success (Molnar, 2016, p. 54). Children
who can appropriately regulate their positive and negative emotions attain higher
achievement in early elementary math and reading. In addition, children with
higher emotional capability are more engaged in school.
u It is important for children to be taught to use the correct tools to manage
their emotions and impulses and they must have opportunities to practice them.
Self-regulation and the ability to control unexpected responses is a critical
component to children’s success in school. Children who can effectively and openly
manage their thoughts, feelings, and actions, have an easier time learning and
socializing in school (McClelland & Cameron, 2011, p. 30).
Literature Review

Emotional Intelligence
u Children must be able to regulate their emotions and control their
impulses to be ready to learn. “Emotional intelligence is a set of skills
associated with monitoring one’s own and others’ emotions, and the
ability to use emotions to guide one’s thinking and actions” (as cited in
Tominey, O’Bryon, Rivers, & Shapses, 2017).
Literature Review

Educating the Whole Child

u Parents may not be teaching their children about self-regulation and
how to control their emotions at home. Therefore, school should go
beyond reading, writing, math, science, and social studies.
u Educators need to take the initiate to educate the whole child. Children
need to have social skills, use manners, cultivate relationships, make
decisions, and be in touch with their feelings.
Literature Review

Importance of Self-Regulation
u Self-regulation is essential to success in “mental and physical health,
educational attainment, work achievement, and marital satisfaction,
among others” (as cited in Milojevich & Haskett, 2018, p. 144).
u Students who develop their self-regulation can focus on classroom
activities and ignore distractions, remember the teacher’s directions
long enough to carry out a task and resist impulses. These important
skills may give them an advantage to succeed in school.
Literature Review

Self-Regulation in Different Forms

u Emotional self-regulation
u Behavioral self-regulation
u Cognitive self-regulation
Literature Review

Health, Wealth, and Behavior

u Early self-regulation skills and abilities predict long-term effects on health,
wealth, and behavior.
u Howard, Vasseleu, Neilsen-Hewett, and Cliff (2018) explain, “For children with low
self-regulation in the preschool years, the likelihood of poorer academic
outcomes in school and poor physical health, substance abuse, financial
difficulties, and criminal offending in adulthood is overwhelming” (p. 2).
u Self-regulation, social, and emotional competency are significant predictors of
school success (Viglas & Perlman, 2017, p. 1150). Students who struggle with self-
regulation are likely to have difficulty throughout their life.
Literature Review

Parental Influences & Poverty

u There is a negative link between the parent-child relationship, family risk, and a
child’s self-regulation (Cadima et al., 2016, p. 343). Social environments and
demographic factors such as parent income, age, and education can contribute
to parenting practices and their effects on their children’s self-regulation
(LeCuyer & Swanson, 2017, p. 834).
u The uncertainty of poverty affects children’s ability to regulate their own
emotions and behaviors. “Children raised in poverty rarely choose to behave
differently, but they are faced daily with overwhelming challenges that affluent
children never have to confront, and their brains have adapted to suboptimal
conditions in ways that undermine good school performance” (as cited in Goodwin
& Miller, 2013). As a result, children raised in poverty are likely to act out, to lack
empathy, to be impatient and impulsive, and to display inappropriate emotional
responses.
 Literature Review

Zones of Regulation is a
curriculum designed to help
students better understand how
they process and respond to
situational triggers, their own
emotions, and develop a range of
strategies or tools to self-
regulate. It teaches emotional
control skills that help students
develop coping mechanisms,
allowing them to manage
overwhelming, painful, and
stressful situations.
Methods

Samuel Bissell Elementary School

u 12 second grade classes and 12 third grade classes
u 646 students
u 59.4% of the student population identify as Caucasian, making up the
largest segment of the student body
 Methods

Internship Responsibilities
u Research
u Provide resources
u Create kid-friendly visualizations of the Zones for the teachers and students
u Decorate hallways and bulletin boards throughout the school
u Create kid-friendly SmartBoard lessons for the 18 lessons outlined in Zones of Regulation
u Teach Zones of Regulation lessons to students
Methods

zones of regulation
Methods
Methods

zones of regulation
Methods
Methods
Methods

u Research Question #1 – How does the Zones of Regulation Program help

students to self-regulate and control their emotions?
u Research Question #2 – What other tools, techniques, strategies, and
skills can help students to self-regulate and control their emotions?
u Research Question #3 - Is the 2017-2018 pilot of Zones of Regulation
Program successful?
Methods

u After displaying Zones of Regulation material throughout the school, I surveyed

three classes (77 students), which represent 13% of the student body including
39 white students, 17 black students, 8 multiracial students, and 13 Asian
students.
u During the next six weeks, the participating classes were introduced to the
Zones of Regulation Program. Using the visuals and SmartBoard lessons I
created, they learned about self-regulation, each of the colored zones and the
emotions associated with each.
u At the end of the study, I surveyed the same three classes to see what
knowledge they gained from the first part of the program.
Methods

u Conducted parent and teacher interviews using Google Forms

u 11 out of 26 parents responded
u 13 out of 32 teachers (classroom teachers, intervention specialists,
and reading/math specialists) and 6 instructional assistants
responded
u Interviewed Assistant Principal, Beech Brook Counselor, School
Counselor, and Occupational Therapist
Findings

Limitations
u Pilot Study
u Scheduled to begin in August when the school year started
u Not introduced to the Zones of Regulation program until January
u 90-minute overview
u Miscommunication - the presenters instructed us to look over the
materials before we meet again in April, but our principal expected us
to start teaching lessons right away
u Due to the delayed start date, teachers were not able to teach all 18
lessons
 Findings

Student Surveys: Pre-Assessment Student Surveys: Post-Assessment

100% 100%

95% 95%

90% 90%

85% 85%

80% 80%

75% 75%
Blue Green Yellow Red Blue Green Yellow Red

Yes A little No Yes A little No

 Findings

Student Surveys: Pre-Assessment Student Surveys: Post-Assessment

 Findings

Parent Interviews
 Findings

Teacher Interviews
Findings

Administrator & Counselor Interviews

u “This is a good program and I am happy we have it to assist students. Next
year, we must be proactive in teaching the lessons in the beginning of the year.”
– Assistant Principal
u “What is happening here is amazing and you did a great job!” – School Counselor
u “I see this program as a tool that teachers must use to prevent forest fires
before needing to reach out to counselors or administration. Do the work at
the beginning of the year to teach the Zones lessons. It will save instructional
time later. ” – Beech Brook Counselor
Conclusions

u Bissell Elementary School is moving in the right direction in implementing

the Zones of Regulation Program
u With the colorful and kid-friendly visuals and common language
amongst all the students and staff, this schoolwide program has been
successful in helping students identify their feelings and emotions in
efforts to teach self-regulation
u Due to its limitations, we did not have enough time to teach all 18 of the
lessons included in The Zones of Regulation
Conclusions

Research Question #1
u From the results of the survey, teachers indicated their students have an
increased ability to access and use sensory support tools and calming strategies
to self-regulate, which is attributed to the Zones of Regulation Program and
Break Box materials we were given.
u As shown in my research, there is evidence to prove that students need help in
controlling their emotions. The Zones of Regulation Program is one of many
curriculums that teach students how to self-regulate. The Zones of Regulation
uses 18 sequential lessons to teach the four zones, how to recognize what zone a
child is in, gain insight into how behavior changes how others think and feel,
identify triggers that lead to the Yellow and Red Zones, calming tools techniques,
and thinking strategies, why, when, and how to use the tools.
Conclusions

Research Question #2
u Parents use the following tools, techniques, strategies, and skills at home to
attempt to deescalate emotional situations including: reminders of the zone,
talking it out before it escalates, deep breathing, quiet space, and hugs.
u Teachers/staff use the following tools, techniques, strategies, and skills have
been successful in calming students within the classrooms: catching a ball,
jumping on the trampoline, breathing techniques, focus techniques, calming music,
“mindful moments”, using the Break Box, writing about emotions, discussing
emotions, and a therapy dog.
 Conclusions

Research Question #3
u There was sufficient evidence to support the success of the pilot program.
u Student surveys from the beginning of the study, compared to the end of the study,
showed students indicated an improvement in their understanding of the program and
colored zones with increased percentages of “Yes” in seven out of eight questions.
u Parent survey data also supports an increased ability to identify feelings in each of the
colored zones, read facial expressions to recognize what other people are thinking and
feeling, and understand that behavior can change and affect others’ thoughts, feelings,
and emotions. These skills can be attributed to the lessons taught in the Zones of
Regulation Program.
u Although teachers had positive things to say about the program and how it has been
implemented, there were some mixed reviews. Common themes in teacher responses were:
the program is a good idea, but we have not had enough time to implement it, students
have learned how to identify feelings in each of the zones, SmartBoard lessons and Break
Box materials are helpful, and counselors should be teaching the lessons.
 Action Plan

u Start the Zones of Regulation Program in the first week of the new school year
u Teach two lessons each week in the first quarter
u Provide more training and professional development on the Zones of Regulation Program