SWIMMING LESSON
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Parent and Child Aquatics

Lessons for this age group (6 months up to 5 years) are designed to help young children become more comfortable in and around the water and prepares them for youth lessons. This program is not designed to teach this age group to swim or survive in the water on their own, but to give parents useful information/ techniques to orient their children to the water and supervise water activities safely. Parents are required to participate in the water in this class (one adult per child), but are not required to have any special swimming skills. We require that all children not toilet-trained wear tightly fitting rubber or plastic pants or swim diapers.

Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills

There are no prerequisites for this course. The objective of Level 1 is to help students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. The following is a list of skills covered in Level 1.

• Enter and exit the water safely using a ladder, steps or side of the pool.
• Submerge mouth, nose and eyes
• Exhale underwater (blow bubbles) through mouth and nose (3 seconds)
• Open eyes underwater, pick up a submerged object held at arms length (2 times)
• Show comfort maintaining a front float position, while supported; face may be in or out of the water (5 seconds)
• Recover from a front float to a standing position while supported
• Show comfort maintaining a back float position while supported (5 seconds)
• Recover from a back float to a standing position while supported
• Change direction of travel while walking or paddling
• Roll over from front to back while supported
• Roll over from back to front while supported
• Explore arm and hand movements while treading in chest-deep water with support
• Swim on front using any combination of arm and leg actions while supported (5 feet)
• Swim on back using any combination of arm and leg actions while supported (5 feet)
• Discuss water safety rules
• Discuss how to use a lifejacket
• Demonstrate wearing a lifejacket in the water
• Discuss how to recognize a swimmer in distress
• Demonstrate how to get help

Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills

Students entering this course must have a Level 1 certificate or must be able to demonstrate all the completion requirements in Level 1. The objective of Level 2 is to give students success with fundamental skills. The following is a list of skills covered in Level 2.

• Enter water independently by jumping or stepping from the side.
• Exit water independently using a ladder or side
• Submerge entire head (5 seconds)
• Blow bubbles, submerging head in a rhythmic pattern (bobbing) (5 times)
• Open eyes underwater, pick up a submerged object in shallow water (3 times)
• Show comfort maintaining a front float position with face in the water (5 seconds)
• Recover from a front float to a standing position
• Demonstrate a front glide (2 body lengths)
• Float in a face-down position (jellyfish float) (5 seconds)
• Show comfort maintaining a back float position (5 seconds)
• Recover from a back float to a standing position while unsupported
• Demonstrate a back glide (2 body lengths)
• Change direction of travel while paddling on front or back
• Roll over from front to back
• Roll over from back to front
• Tread water, using arm and leg motions, in chest-deep water
• Swim on front using any combination of arm and leg actions while unsupported (15 feet)
• Swim on back using any combination of arm and leg actions (15 feet)
• Swim on side using an alternating or simultaneous leg action (5 feet)
• Discuss water safety rules
• Discuss how to use a lifejacket
• Move in the water while wearing a lifejacket
• Discuss how to recognize a swimmer in distress
• Demonstrate how to get help

Level 3: Stroke Development

Students entering this course must have a Level 2 certificate or must be able to demonstrate all the completion requirements in Level 2. The objective of Level 3 is to build on the skills in Level 2 by providing additional guided practice. The following is a list of skills covered in Level 3.

• Jump into deep water from the side
• Demonstrate a head-first entry from the side in a sitting or kneeling position
• Submerge and retrieve an object (independently) from chest-deep water (3 seconds)
• Bob with head fully submerged, in chest-deep water (5 times)
• Demonstrate rotary breathing with body in a horizontal position (5 times)
• Demonstrate a front glide using 2 different kicks (2 body lengths)
• Demonstrate a survival float in deep water (30 seconds)
• Demonstrate a back glide using 2 different kicks (2 body lengths)
• Demonstrate a back float in deep water (30 seconds)
• Change from a vertical to a horizontal position on front
• Change from a vertical to a horizontal position back
• Tread in deep water, using hand and leg movements (30 seconds)
• Demonstrate each stroke for the following distance:
• Front crawl (15 yards)
• Back crawl (15 yards)
• Butterfly—kick and body motion (15 feet)
• Discuss general water safety rules
• Discuss rules for safe diving
• Enter the water independently using ladder, steps or side while wearing a life jacket
• Demonstrate the H.EL.P. position (1 minute)
• Demonstrate the huddle position (1 minute)
• Demonstrate a reaching assist
• Discuss Check-Call-Care
  

Level 4: Stroke Improvement

Students entering this course must have a Level 3 certificate or must be able to demonstrate all the completion requirements in Level 3. The objective of Level 4 is to develop confidence in the strokes learned thus far and to imporve other aquatic skills. The following is a list of skills covered in Level 4.

• Demonstrate a dive from a compact or stride or stride position on the side of the pool
• Swim underwater (3 body lengths)
• Demonstrate a feet-first surface dive and submerge completely
• Demonstrate a survival float in deep water (1 minute)
• Demonstrate a back float in deep water (1 minute)
• Demonstrate an open turn using any stroke on front and push off in a streamlined position
• Demonstrate an open turn using any stroke on back and push off in a streamlined position
• Tread water using a modified scissors, breaststroke or rotary kick and sculling arm motions (1 minute)
• Demonstrate each stroke for the following distances:
• Front crawl–25 yards
• Back crawl–25 yards
• Butterfly– 15 yards
• Breaststroke–15 yards
• Elementary backstroke–15 yards
• Swim on side using scissor-like kick–15 yards
• Discuss rules for safe diving
• Demonstrate a compact jump from a height while wearing a lifejacket
• Demonstrate a throwing assist
• Demonstrate how to care for a conscious choking victim
  

Level 5: Stroke Refinement

Students entering this course must have a Level 4 certificate or must be able to demonstrate all the course requirements in Level 4. The objective of Level 5 is coordination and refinement of strokes. The following is a list of skills covered in Level 5.

• Demonstrate a shallow dive from the side
• Demonstrate a shallow dive, glide two body lengths and begin any front stroke
• Swim underwater (15 yards)
• Demonstrate a tuck and pike surface dive, submerging completely
• Demonstrate a survival float (2 minutes)
• Demonstrate a back float (2 minutes)
• Demonstrate a flip turn while swimming on front
• Demonstrate a flip turn while swimming on back
• Tread water using two different kicks (scissors, modified breast, or rotary kick) (2 minutes)
• Demonstrate the following strokes
• Front crawl–50 yards
• Back Crawl–50 yards
• Butterfly–25 yards
• Breaststroke–25 yards
• Elementary backstroke–25 yards
• Sidestroke–25 yards
• Demonstrate survival swimming (2 minutes)
• Demonstrate rescue breathing

Level 6: Swimming and Skill Proficiency

Students entering this course must have a Level 5 certificate or must be able to demonstrate all the skills required to complete Level 5. The objective of Level 6 is to refine strokes so students swim them with more ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. The following is a list of skills covered in Level 6.

• Demonstrate the following strokes
• Front crawl–100 yards
• Back Crawl–100 yards
• Butterfly–50 yards
• Breaststroke–50 yards
• Elementary backstroke–50 yards
• Sidestroke–50 yards
• Demonstrate Front crawl open turn while swimming
• Demonstrate Sidestroke open turn while swimming
• Demonstrate Backstroke open turn while swimming
• Demonstrate Front flip turn while swimming
• Demonstrate Breaststroke turn while swimming
• Demonstrate Butterfly turn while swimming
• Demonstrate Backstroke flip turn while swimming
• Demonstrate H.E.L.P. position at least 2 minutes in deep water
• Demonstrate Huddle position at least 2 minutes in deep water
• Demonstrate Feet-first surface dive in water at least 7 feet deep
• Demonstrate a pike and tuck surface dive in water at least 7 feet deep
• Demonstrate Treading water at least 5 minutes in deep water
• Demonstate Treading water (kicking only) at least 2 minutes in deep water
• Surface dive and retrieve an object from the bottom in water 7-10 feet
• Demonstrate a survival float (5 minutes)
• Demonstrate a back float (5 minutes)
• Demonstrate survival swimming at least 10 minutes
• Demonstrate self-rescue techniques while clothed
• Demonstrate swimming while clothed at least 50 yards using any stroke
• Discuss basic safety rules for boating and open water