Engine Check Teacher Guide Teacher Resource • Self-Regulation
Engine Check Guide
Grade: 2-5 SPED
Objective
Students will identify their arousal level (High, Low, Just Right) and choose a targeted sensory strategy to adjust it.
Pacing
30 - 40 Minutes
Materials
Dashboard slides, personal desk-trackers, student tuning log worksheets.
Instructional Framework
Based on the Alert Program for self-regulation, this lesson uses the "car engine" analogy to make internal physiological states concrete for learners with diverse processing needs. Avoid framing "High" or "Low" as bad; emphasize that all engines shift, and our goal is finding the right gear for the current task.
Instructional Sequence
1
The Ignition Check (5 mins)
Distribute the Engine Check Warm Up . Guide students to circle their current engine speed. Model this by sharing your own: "My engine is a little low today because it's cloudy, so I'm doing a light stretch to warm up."
2
Meet the Gears (10 mins)
Deliver the Engine Check Slides . Define the three speeds clearly. Use sensory-grounded physical cues:Low Engine: Heavy limbs, yawning, moving like cold molasses.High Engine: Wiggling hands, racing thoughts, speaking fast, high volume.Just Right: Calm body, listening ears, ready to focus and play.
3
Gearing Up & Down (10 mins)
Introduce physical strategies for engine adjustments. Practice a "Cool Down" strategy (Slow Butterfly Breathing, Chair Push-Ups) and a "Rev Up" strategy (Quick Wall Jumps, Star Jumps). Ensure kids feel the shift in their heart rates and muscle tone.
4
Personalizing the Dashboard (10 mins)
Have students complete the My Engine Worksheet to document their personal "Tuning Tools." Cut out and assemble the Engine Dashboard Desk Anchors for daily workspace self-monitoring.
Self-Regulation Lesson Suite • Unit 1 Page 1 of 2
Teacher Resource • Facilitation Tools
Coregulation Toolkit
Diagnostic Lab
Verbal Intervention Scripts
For High Engines (Hyperactive)
"I notice your voice is super fast and your hands are wiggling quite a bit. Your engine is running hot right now."
Action: "Let's pull over and do three slow wall push-ups together to ground our engines."
For Low Engines (Sluggish)
"Your head is resting on the desk and your eyes look very heavy. Your engine battery is running low."
Action: "Let's do a quick engine-charging session! Let's shake out our hands and take five sharp breaths."
Sensory Exercise Mechanics
Proprioceptive Input (Heavy Work) • For Both States
Provides deep muscle resistance. Helps high engines burn excess electricity, and wakes up low engines by stimulating muscle receptors.Classroom Examples: Desk presses, hand presses, holding heavy binders, carrying water bottles.
Vestibular Input • Adjusting Speed
Relates to balance and spatial orientation. Rhythmic, slow swaying reduces over-arousal. Linear, rapid movement (like jumping or spinning) charges under-arousal.Classroom Examples: Controlled rocking, linear stretches, brief jumping jack sequences.
Deep Respiration • Central Autonomic Tuning
Prolonged exhalations activate the parasympathetic nervous system, cooling down hyperactive states. Brief, rapid rhythmic inhalations provide oxygenation to spark sluggish nervous systems.Classroom Examples: Box breathing (4-4-4-4), flower/candle breaths.
Instructional Pitfall Warning
Never frame a high engine as "bad behavior" or a low engine as "laziness." Remind the class that an engine running high is perfect for running on the playground! Frame regulation as matching the right engine speed to the right environment.
Self-Regulation Lesson Suite • Unit 1 Page 2 of 2
Engine Check Slides Engine Shop
Diagnostic Check
The Great
Engine Check!
How is your internal motor running today? Let's discover how to tune our bodies and brains for focus!
Self-Regulation Series
Slide 1 of 7
What is an Engine Check?
The Analogy
Just like an awesome race car, your body has an internal engine that runs at different speeds throughout the day.
"An engine is never 'bad' because of its speed. But we always want to match our engine speed to the work we are doing!"
Low (Slow) Just Right High (Fast)
Understand your motor's gears Slide 2 of 7
Low Engine Speed
The Slow Gear
How does a Low Engine feel?
When your engine is running slow, your body feels like heavy weights are attached to it.
Heavy, sleepy eyes and yawning
Moving slowly (like deep winter molasses)
Daydreaming, quiet, or sad feelings
How to Charge the Battery
To raise a low engine, we need sensorimotor input to light up our sensory highway!
Let's practice right now:
Recognizing under-arousal states Slide 3 of 7
High Engine Speed
The Overdrive Gear
How does a High Engine feel?
When your engine is running high, it feels like the accelerator pedal is stuck to the floor!
Wiggling, tapping, and jumping around
Thoughts are moving way too fast
Feeling dizzy, anxious, silly, or angry
How to Apply the Brakes
To cool down a high engine, we use resistance and slow patterns to signal safety to our nerves.
Let's practice right now:
Recognizing over-arousal states Slide 4 of 7
Just Right Engine
The Cruising Gear
How does a Just Right Engine feel?
When your engine is just right, your brain and body are harmonized and ready to learn.
Relaxed shoulders and quiet hands
Listening, thinking, and following directions
Feeling safe, content, and ready to play
Our Cruising Target
This is our target zone for writing, reading, listening to stories, and doing classroom work.
Engine Check Warm Up Daily Check-In • Ignition Phase
Engine Warm Up
Part 1: Diagnostic
Driver Name:
Today's Date:
1 Scan Your Dashboard: Circle Your Speed
💤 Low Speed
Feels heavy, tired, sleepy, or running slow.
🚗 Just Right
Feels focused, calm, ready, and on track.
⚡ High Speed
Feels hyper, wiggly, super fast, or nervous.
2 Check Under the Hood: Physical Clues
Check all of the physical sensations you feel inside your body right now:
Yawning or heavy, sleepy eyelids
Silly, giggly, or hard-to-stop laugh
Relaxed shoulders, quiet breathing
Wiggly toes, jumpy feet, tapping fingers
Listening ears and steady focus
Clenched fists, tight jaw, or fast heartbeat
Instant Calibrator Break
Let's try a shared physical diagnostic. Practice "The Desk Squeeze" : Place your palms on your table, press down and squeeze your core for 5 slow seconds, then take a deep breath out.
How did your engine feel after that exercise?
Self-Regulation Lesson Suite • Unit 1 Warm Up Daily Ignition Log
My Engine Worksheet Tuning Workshop • Student Sheet
My Engine Log
Calibration Log
Driver Name:
Today's Date:
A My High Engine
What does my body do when my motor is running too fast? (e.g. wiggling, loud voice, tapping feet)
Draw or write above
B My Low Engine
What does my body do when my motor is running too slow? (e.g. yawning, resting head, heavy limbs)
Draw or write above
2 My Calibration Toolkit: Choose Strategies
My Cool-Down Tools (For High)
Deep wall push-ups (5x)
Slow flower breathing (3 breaths)
Desk presses (heavy work)
Calm desk resting with dim lights
My Rev-Up Tools (For Low)
Quick shoulder rolls & stretches
Rhythmic wall jumps (5x)
Cold water sips
Quick hand massage / shakeout
My Safe Driver Agreement
I know my engine speed changes. When I notice my engine running too high or too low for learning:
"I will point to my Dashboard. I can choose one Calibration Tool for 3 minutes to tune my engine and safely return to Just Right cruising speed."
Driver Signature:
Mechanic (Teacher) Check:
Self-Regulation Lesson Suite • Student Logbook Driver Certification Panel
Engine Dashboard Activity Print-and-Construct Activity • Tactile Desk Tool
My Desk Dashboard
Desk Anchor
Assembly Instructions
1. Color and cut out the Dashboard Arc and the Meter Indicator Needle below.
Cut along dotted outer lines
💤 Low Speed
🚗 Just Right
⚡ High Speed
Indicator Needle
Cut out and fasten pivot point to dashboard center dot.
No paper fastener?
Instead of cutting out the needle, write your name on a wooden clothespin! Students can clip their clothespin to the top curve of their Desk Dashboard to show their current engine speed.
Self-Regulation Lesson Suite • Desk Dashboards Page 1 of 2
Print-and-Cut Portable Deck • Sensory Toolkit
Calibration Cards
Pocket Deck
Cool Down 🧱
Wall Presses
Stand, put your palms flat on the wall, and push as hard as you can for 10 seconds.
Proprioception (Heavy Work)
Rev Up 🔄
Shoulder Rolls
Roll your shoulders back, make big arm circles, and stretch your neck side to side.
Vestibular (Movement)
Cool Down 🦋
Slow Butterfly Breath
Inhale slow while spreading your arm wings wide. Exhale slow and bring them in.
Deep Respiration (Calming)
Rev Up ⭐
Star Jumps
Do 5 high, energetic star jumps to pump up your engine and wake your body up.
Vestibular (Movement)
Cool Down 🪑
Chair Push-Ups
Place your hands on your chair seat, push down and lift your hips off the chair. Hold for 5s.
Proprioception (Heavy Work)
Rev Up 🙌
High-Speed Shakeout
Shake your hands out fast like they are wet. Do a quick thumb and hand massage.
Tactile (Wake Up)
Tip: Punch a hole in the corner of these cut cards and attach them to a key ring. Hang the ring on a hook by the student's desk so they can quickly flip to their selected strategy card.
Self-Regulation Lesson Suite • Desk Dashboards Page 2 of 2
