Lesson Descriptions

Parent & Tot Class

Course is designed for children who have little or no water experience. Parents are taught how to:

  • Safely work with their child in the water, including how to appropriately support and hold child in the water
  • Prepare and encourage child to participate and to try the skills
  • Enter and exit the water
  • Change body position in water
  • Front float, front glide, front glide to wall
  • Back float, back glide
  • Roll from front to back and back to front
  • Learn how to select and use life jackets
  • Basic water safety rules
  • General water safety around the home

Depending on the skill level of the class, the following skills may be introduced:

  • Opening eyes and retrieving objects below the surface
  • Opening eyes and retrieving submerged objects
  • Bobbing
  • Leg action on front – alternating or simultaneous movements
  • Arm action on front – alternating or simultaneous movements
  • Leg action on back – alternating or simultaneous movements
  • Arm action on back – alternating or simultaneous movements
  • Combined arm and leg actions on back
  • Water toys and their limitations
  • Wearing a life jacket in the water

NEW! Lil’ Swimmers

Lil’ Swimmers is a new program that will use a non-traditional format to teach basic water skills. Multiple instructors will serve as “learning stations” for different skills throughout each class session. This format provides a streamlined learning process that allows the prioritization of skills not yet mastered. Children who pass Lil’ Swimmers will have learned the same skills as traditional Preschool Level 1 students and be ready to enroll in Preschool Level 2 lessons.

Preschool Level 1

Level 1 – Introduction to Water Skills
Objective:
To help students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely
Requirements: None
Skills Covered: Entering and exiting the water safely, learning to submerge mouth, nose and eyes and breath control, front and back float and recovering to a stand, changing direction in the water, swimming 5 feet on front and back.

Preschool Level 2

Level 2 – Fundamental Aquatic Skills
Objective:
To give students success with fundamental skills
Requirements: Students entering this level must possess a Level 1 certificate or demonstrate all the Level 1 skills
Skills Covered: Entering water by stepping or jumping in from the side, submerging entire head, blowing bubbles, open eyes underwater, front and back glide, swim 15 feet on front and 10 feet on back, swim on side, life jacket use.

Preschool Level 3

Level 3 – Stroke Development
Objective:
To build on skills in Level 2 through additional guided practice
Requirements: Students entering this level must possess a Level 2 certificate or demonstrate all the Level 2 skills
Skills Covered: Jump into deep water, head first entry from sitting or kneeling, submerging and retrieving an object, bobbing, survival float for 30 seconds, treading water for 30 seconds, front crawl 15 yards, butterfly 15 feet, back crawl 15 yards, elementary rescues, safe diving.

Youth Level 1

Level 1 – Introduction to Water Skills
Objective:
To help students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely
Requirements: None
Skills Covered: Entering and exiting the water safely, learning to submerge mouth, nose and eyes and breath control, front and back float and recovering to a stand, changing direction in the water, swimming 5 feet on front and back.

Youth Level 2

Level 2 – Fundamental Aquatic Skills
Objective:
To give students success with fundamental skills
Requirements: Students entering this level must possess a Level 1 certificate or demonstrate all the Level 1 skills
Skills Covered: Entering water by stepping or jumping in from the side, submerging entire head, blowing bubbles, open eyes underwater, front and back glide, swim 15 feet on front and 10 feet on back, swim on side, life jacket use.

Youth Level 3

Level 3 – Stroke Development
Objective:
To build on skills in Level 2 through additional guided practice
Requirements: Students entering this level must possess a Level 2 certificate or demonstrate all the Level 2 skills
Skills Covered: Jump into deep water, head first entry from sitting or kneeling, submerging and retrieving an object, bobbing, survival float for 30 seconds, treading water for 30 seconds, front crawl 15 yards, butterfly 15 feet, back crawl 15 yards, elementary rescues, safe diving.

Youth Level 4

Level 4 – Stroke Improvement
Objective:
To develop confidence in the strokes learned thus far and to improve other aquatic skills by increasing endurance through swimming greater distances
Requirements: Students entering this level must possess a Level 3 certificate or demonstrate all the Level 3 skills
Skills Covered: Diving, underwater swimming, feet-first surface dive, 1 minute of survival floating, treading and back floating, 25 yards of front crawl, breaststroke and back crawl, 15 yards of butterfly and elementary backstroke and sidestroke, compact jump from height in a life jacket, throwing assists.