Self-regulation isn’t just about controlling emotions—it’s about developing the skills to navigate challenges, focus attention, and manage impulses. In elementary school, building these skills is essential for fostering independence and creating a positive learning environment. When young students develop self-regulation skills, they build resilience, improve peer relationships, and enhance their ability to engage in classroom activities.

Proactive strategies are key to helping elementary students regulate their emotions before they escalate. By embedding these approaches into daily routines, we create structured, supportive environments that set them up for success. These 10 strategies are designed to be practical, research-backed, and easy to implement in elementary classrooms.

What is Self-Regulation?

Self-regulation is the ability to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations to achieve goals. For elementary students, self-regulation helps them develop essential classroom skills, such as waiting their turn, following directions, and managing frustration. It involves delaying gratification, controlling impulses, managing stress, and adapting to challenges—all critical for a structured learning environment.

At its core, self-regulation is not about suppressing emotions but rather understanding and responding to them in constructive ways. It is closely linked to executive functioning, which includes skills like planning, organization, and self-monitoring. These abilities help young learners develop independence and confidence, making it easier for them to focus, collaborate with peers, and succeed academically.

Why Teach Self-Regulation?

Teaching self-regulation in elementary classrooms is essential for both academic and social success. Young students who can manage their emotions and behaviors are more likely to stay engaged in learning, build positive peer relationships, and navigate daily classroom routines effectively. Without these skills, students may struggle with frustration, impulsivity, or disengagement, leading to disruptions in the learning environment.

Research shows that self-regulation contributes to long-term success. Studies have linked strong self-regulation skills in early childhood to higher academic achievement, better mental health, and improved social-emotional development. By explicitly teaching self-regulation in elementary school, educators help students develop the tools they need to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.

Proactive vs. Reactive Strategies for Self-Regulation

In elementary settings, effective self-regulation instruction emphasizes proactive strategies—those that help students develop skills before they become dysregulated—rather than relying solely on reactive strategies that address challenges after they arise.

Proactive Strategies:

• Embed self-regulation tools into daily routines, such as morning check-ins or transition cues.
• Teach emotional literacy and coping skills through books, role-playing, and classroom discussions.
• Use visual supports and structured transitions to create predictability in the classroom.
• Encourage students to recognize and communicate their needs before frustration escalates.

Reactive Strategies:

• De-escalation techniques for managing heightened emotions, such as deep breathing exercises.
• Providing a designated calming space where students can regulate before returning to activities.
• Using structured reflection and repair conversations after a student experiences dysregulation.

While reactive strategies are sometimes necessary, proactive approaches are more effective in elementary classrooms, where young students are still developing self-awareness and emotional control. By embedding proactive self-regulation techniques into daily routines, educators create a more supportive learning environment where students feel empowered to manage their emotions independently.

Examples of Self-Regulation Strategies for Elementary

Helping students develop self-regulation skills is essential for fostering independence, emotional resilience, and a positive learning environment. By embedding these proactive strategies into daily routines, educators can provide students with the tools they need to manage emotions, behaviors, and transitions effectively. Below are ten actionable approaches to support self-regulation in elementary classrooms.

1. Create a Sensory-Friendly Environment

The classroom environment significantly impacts students’ ability to regulate their emotions and behaviors. Sensory-friendly spaces can help students recognize and respond to their needs before they become overwhelmed.

Ideas to try:

• Provide fidgets, weighted lap pads, or noise-canceling headphones.
• Use calming visuals like emotion charts and breathing posters.
• Offer low-stimulation areas with dim lighting and soft textures.
• Normalize the use of these spaces as tools, not rewards.

Sensory-Friendly Resource: Calming Corners!

Setting up a Calming Corner can be an effective way to provide this support. Our Calming Corner Implementation Guide walks educators through creating a structured, accessible space where students can self-regulate using evidence-based strategies.

2. Use Visual Supports and Timers

Predictability and structure reduce anxiety and help students transition between tasks with ease. Visual supports and timers provide clear expectations, giving students a sense of control over their environment.

Ideas to try:

• Use visual timers to signal transitions.
• Display first/then boards or visual schedules with clear steps.
• Provide transition warnings: “In five minutes, we’ll start cleaning up. What’s one thing you need to finish?”

3. Incorporate Mindfulness and Movement

Structured movement and mindfulness activities provide students with proactive ways to regulate their emotions throughout the day. Short, intentional breaks can prevent frustration from escalating and improve focus.

Ideas to try:

• Begin the day with a mindful moment: “Take one deep breath, stretch, and think about something positive today.”
• Use transitional movement breaks like chair yoga or quick stretching.
• Encourage students to check in with their bodies: “Do you feel tired, wiggly, or calm?”
• Introduce grounding techniques: “Name five things you see, four things you hear, three things you feel…”

Mindfulness Resource: Interactive Yoga Pose Library!

Yoga is a great way to help students build self-regulation skills through movement. Our Yoga for Kids Guide provides an engaging, easy-to-use collection of poses designed for the classroom, making it simple for educators to incorporate movement breaks that support focus, relaxation, and emotional balance.

4. Teach Self-Initiated Breaks with Responsibility

Students benefit from learning when and how to take breaks in a way that promotes self-regulation rather than avoidance. When breaks are structured and purposeful, they reinforce personal responsibility.

Ideas to try:

• Assign structured classroom jobs, like delivering mail or helping with clean-up.
• Create “movement missions”: “Go to the office to deliver this note!”
• Encourage students to recognize when they need a reset and self-initiate a break.

5. Strengthen Emotional Literacy

Students who can identify and understand their emotions are better equipped to manage them. Emotional literacy activities help students develop self-awareness and healthy ways to express themselves.

Ideas to try:

• Use SocialMojis or other visual tools to help students identify emotions and coping strategies.
• Ask perspective-taking questions: “What do you think the character was feeling?”
• Have students role-play emotions using puppets or visuals.
• Implement simple emotion check-ins: “Which face matches how you’re feeling today?”

Emotional Literacy Resource: SocialMojis!

One engaging way to support emotional literacy is through SocialMojis—a visual tool designed to help students recognize, name, and communicate their emotions. By using expressive, relatable visuals, SocialMojis make it easier for students to connect with their feelings and develop self-regulation skills.

6. Gamify Self-Regulation Skills

Turning self-regulation into a game can increase student engagement and motivation. Playful competition and goal-setting make practicing these skills more enjoyable and rewarding.

Ideas to try:

• Set up a class-wide challenge for using regulation strategies successfully.
• Use reward systems that celebrate self-regulation milestones.
• Encourage friendly competitions to practice self-monitoring skills.

7. Role-Play Problem-Solving Scenarios

Students need opportunities to practice self-regulation in realistic situations. Role-playing problem-solving scenarios helps them develop problem-solving skills in a safe, structured setting.

Ideas to try:

• Act out situations like losing a game or waiting in line.
• Ask “What would you do?” questions to encourage flexible thinking.
• Use video modeling to demonstrate regulation strategies.

Problem-Solving Resource: Quiz Show Game!

Turn problem-solving into an exciting challenge with our Problem-Solving Quiz Show Game! In this Jeopardy-style game, students answer questions to earn points while practicing real-world problem-solving skills. This engaging, competitive format makes learning self-regulation strategies both fun and effective.

8. Promote Self-Monitoring and Reflection

When students actively track their emotions and behaviors, they build self-awareness and learn to take ownership of their regulation strategies.

Ideas to try:

• Use simple check-in charts to track emotions throughout the day.
• Ask reflective questions: “What helped you stay calm today?”
• Pair student self-monitoring with teacher feedback for consistency.

9. Build Personalized Self-Regulation Toolkits

Every student has unique needs, and giving them control over their self-regulation strategies fosters independence. A personalized toolkit allows students to choose strategies that work best for them, helping them feel more confident in managing their emotions.

Ideas to try:

• Let students choose their preferred coping strategies.
• Create physical or digital toolkits with personalized visuals.
• Revisit and update toolkits as students’ needs evolve.

Self-Regulation Resource: Big Feelings Toolkit!

The Big Feelings Toolkit is a ready-to-use resource that helps students build their own personalized self-regulation strategies. With engaging visuals and interactive elements, the toolkit provides students with the tools they need to recognize, manage, and express their emotions effectively.

10. Model and Practice Regulation Skills

Students learn by example. When educators openly demonstrate self-regulation techniques, students are more likely to adopt and practice them independently.

Ideas to try:

• Narrate your self-regulation strategies: “I’m feeling frustrated, so I’m taking a deep breath.”
• Use check-in/check-out systems to build supportive relationships.
• Praise and reinforce self-regulation behaviors in real-time.

Watch our Webinar: Self-Regulations Strategies for Elementary

Looking for more ways to support self-regulation in your classroom? In this webinar on self-regulation strategies for elementary, we explore practical strategies to help students manage emotions, build independence, and stay engaged in learning.

You’ll learn how to introduce proactive self-regulation techniques, create supportive classroom routines, and use tools like Calming Corners and SocialMojis to make these strategies more effective. Watch the full webinar below: 

Helping Students Build Lifelong Self-Regulation Skills

Self-regulation is a foundational skill that extends far beyond the classroom. By teaching students how to manage their emotions, behaviors, and impulses in constructive ways, we set them up for long-term success in academics, relationships, and everyday life.

The key to effective self-regulation instruction is consistency. When proactive strategies are embedded into daily routines, students gain the tools they need to handle challenges before frustration escalates. Whether it’s using a Calming Corner, engaging with SocialMojis, or build a Big Feelings Toolkit, structured supports help young learners build independence and resilience.

As educators, our role is to create environments where self-regulation becomes second nature—where students feel empowered to recognize their needs, make thoughtful choices, and develop confidence in their ability to navigate emotions. By implementing these strategies, we’re not just improving classroom behavior—we’re equipping students with essential life skills that will serve them well beyond their elementary years.