Swim Lesson Info & Tips

This page provides an overview of Maty's approach to teaching and take home tips for parents to practice at home with their swimmers!

Swim Lesson Stages of Growth Guide

Early Stages of Lessons:

Remember: Every child progresses at different paces!

Goals:

Gain comfort in the water and around the pool
Safe entry and exit of pool (verbal cues such as “pool please” before entering)
Recognize boundaries near pool and steps
Head and neck control in the water
Adjust to facial exposure to water
Holding breath/ blowing bubbles
Recognize water submerging cues such as “*insert name*, underwater 1, 2, 3.”
Holding onto side of wall/ develop into turning back to wall after water submerge exercises
Develop kicking reflexes
Develop arm engagement
Back floats
Transition from front swim to back float

Later Stages of Lessons:

Goals:

Develop strong breathing control

Engagement of arm action (scooping)
Scoop & kick combination with face submerged
Back float without assistance
Transition from front swim to back float
Floating/ glides from wall
Safe return to wall after jumping in
Beginner level side breaths with freestyle

These lists of swim safety competencies and goals are from my personal experience of teaching lessons over the years. My style of coaching focuses on the process of learning to swim while emphasizing the importance of safety & excitement associated with the water. Each child will receive a unique and individualized lesson experience that begins with developing what I believe to be the most important component of teaching & learning, trust.

Exercises to Practice:

Here are some tips and tricks to practice in the water with your child outside of their swim lesson if you feel comfortable.

Disclaimer: These are things I have learned over the years of teaching and these are what I personally have found successful to teach young children.

Water conditioning: Use verbal cue of “(child’s name) underwater 1,2,3 *breathe in*” or “(child’s name) ready, go”, or a cue of your choice, then pour a cup of water on the swimmer's face or submerge them very briefly.

Wall “walking”: This is an exercise to acquaint your swimmer with the walls of the pool. It is important to familiarize your swimmer with holding onto the wall as it is their place of safety if they were to ever fall in. Place both of your child’s hands onto the wall. Place your hands gently under their armpits or at their waist, always let their feet hang. Lessen the amount of support you are giving them over time, this will allow the child to rely more on themselves and the wall. The leading hand must have a strong grip before removing the other in order to inch towards whichever direction the child would like. Use a toy to engage the child and encourage them to head towards the toy.

Returning to the wall: Have the child sit on the side of the pool, facing the pool, with their feet in the water. Place your hands near their upper arms to grab and pull them into the water. You can use the cue “turn turn turn” as you guide their body back to the wall. Allow the child to reach for the wall on their own. If they do not reach out their arms, help guide their hands to grab onto the wall once again.

The importance of mimicking breaths:

When a child is first learning to hold their breath underwater, it will take a lot of repetition and leading by example. Children tend to copy, which is important to note when teaching swim lessons. When teaching your child to hold their breath, always start small. Begin with a cup of water. You may pour the cup on your face as your child watches first. Before pouring, take an exaggerated large breath in and close your mouth. Start out with only a few second pour and gradually increase the amount of water being poured as your child gets more comfortable. Do this often!

After using water cup conditioning, your child is ready to be submerged. You can do this near the wall of the pool or simply hold your child out in front of you, facing you. Don’t forget to use a verbal cue and take that exaggerated breath in. Taking your own breath ensures that your child will also have enough time to take a deep breath.

Before submerging your child, gently lift them up as you model a big breath in, place them under the water very shortly, then pull them up towards you. Commend your child, always smile to make it known that they are safe, and incorporate toys as a distraction directly after being submerged. This will take away from the initial shock of having water on their face!

Back floats:

The goal for a child to be able to save themselves in the pool is to be able to “flip and float”. This means that if the child were to have fallen into the water face first, they would be able to flip onto their back, and remain floating. To assist your child in this process, place them on their back and put your hands beneath the back of their head, then walk backwards.