Waiting Skills Routine/Impulse Control for Elementary Classrooms

Give Students the tools they need to help build their routines of Waiting Your Turn. These fresh strategies will give students a gentle reminder of self-management, and respectful choices for taking and waiting for your turn.

Second

This toolkit was created to help elementary students build foundational self-regulation skills using four high-interest, visually supported routines:

• Stop–Think–Act

• Waiting Skills

• Blurting Control

• Emotional Pause Strategies

Each routine is designed to be simple, repeatable, and accessible across diverse learners—including students with ADHD, trauma histories, ENL needs, and academic gaps. These tools are not just behavior supports—they’re dignity-building routines that empower students to notice, name, and navigate their emotions and choices with confidence.

🎯 Why It Matters

When students have predictable, shame-free routines for managing impulses and emotions, they feel safer, more connected, and more capable. These routines reduce crisis behaviors, support smoother transitions, and build a shared language for repair and growth. They also help teachers respond with consistency and clarity, reducing burnout and improving classroom climate.