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| Like many people, this student never had the opportunity to learn to swim in childhood. She came to me when someone gave her swim lessons as a gift. |
Students of any age and ability can use any available time slot, so there's no need for you to decide in which level to place your student. Likewise, there are no prerequisites to begin lessons. We'll begin where your student is and work together step by step toward their goals.
I allow each student to progress at their own pace; as they master skills in one level, I introduce some from the next level. Students are never stuck repeating the same level over and over while trying to master that one last skill. Instead, they're often working in two or three levels simultaneously without even knowing it, because the transition between levels feels seamless to them. I offer lots of encouragement but no pressure, and there are never any tests to pass.
Rather than adhere to a rigid schedule or timeline for presenting skills, I follow each student's lead to ensure they're engaged and challenged, but not overwhelmed. I adapt my pace and approach to the age, experience, developmental stage, and personality of each student. Younger students learn largely through play, including songs, games, and toys.
At every level, the overarching goals are to be safe, have fun, and be challenged. These are the key ingredients for growing in confidence and competence.
Infant & Toddler
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| Tiny people can do amazing things in the water! |
Infant & Toddler
Infant and toddler lessons arm students with the skills needed to survive and propel themselves to safety should they unexpectedly end up in the water alone, all the while helping them feel comfortable in and under the water. A strong focus is developing a positive, respectful relationship with the water. Babies and toddlers learn back floating, submerging, falling in from a seated position, jumping in, surfacing and rolling to their backs to breathe, moving to safety, holding onto the side of the pool until help arrives, and climbing out of the pool.
Level 1: Water Adjustment &
Survival Skills
Objectives:
Level 3: Propulsion
Objectives:
Level 4: Intermediate Swimming
Objectives:
Level 5: Advanced Swimming
Level 6: Expert Skills
Objectives:
Level 1: Water Adjustment &
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| Getting acquainted with the water should be fun. |
Objectives:
- to acclimate students to the water environment
- to instill a sense of how the water responds to their movements
- to introduce basic survival skills
Skills taught:
- breath control, i.e. keeping water out of the airway while taking in sufficient air
- immersing the ears and face
- wall crawl
- safe entries
- waiting for the cue from an adult to enter the water
- three methods for exiting the pool
assisted back float
I show a student how to avoid
choking when water gets on my face.- assisted front float
- balancing in the water
- propelling themselves forward, backward, up, down, and in circles in the water, while supported
- assisted tuck float
- assisted treading (due to pool depth limitations, only available for students up to approximately 4' tall at Schonwald Aquatic Center. Homestead Aquatic Center can accommodate all heights.)
Level 2: Self-Rescue Skills
Objectives:
- to equip students with the self-rescue skills they would need in a water emergency
- to lay the foundation for learning proper swim strokes
Skills taught:
rapid air exchange without choking
This five-year-old can submerge comfortably. - submerging completely
- surfacing and rolling to the back
- independent back float
- sit-fall
- jumping in
- moving from vertical to prone position
- independent front float
- returning to the wall
- bobbing
- bobbing to safety
- independent tuck float
- independent treading for 5 seconds
- performing a simulated fall into the water and self-rescue while fully clothed, without me at their side
- life jacket usage
Level 3: Propulsion
Objectives:
- to help students move beyond immediate survival and escaping the water, to swimming and remaining in the water for more extended times
This seven-year-old rests
and breathes on her back. - to teach the basics of efficient propulsion
- to increase versatility in the water
- to enable students to jump into water over their head, comfortably swim 14/25 yards (depending on the location), and exit the pool independently
Skills taught:
- back glide
- back flutter kick
- modified elementary backstroke, with steering and back float rests
- front glide
- front flutter kick
- swim-float-swim
- underwater swimming
- treading water for 10 seconds
- planning and problem-solving in the water
- combining skills in multiple different sequences
- transitioning between swimming, floating, and treading
- reversing direction mid-swim
- changing strokes mid-swim
- performing various swim sequences fully clothed, while I am on the deck
- advanced life jacket skills
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| Correct body position and an effective flutter kick pave the way for learning strokes. |
Level 4: Intermediate Swimming
Objectives:
to increase students' stamina
Putting together the components of back crawl. - to expand students' stroke repertoire
- to present two traditional strokes most people recognize
- to teach basic skills for lap swimming or swim team
Skills taught:
- rollover breathing
- basic front crawl with rotary breathing
- basic back crawl
- front crawl open turn
- back crawl open turn
- treading water for 1 minute using five different kicks, arms only, and legs only
- six types of entry dives (due to pool depth limitations, only available at Homestead Aquatic Center)
- traditional sidestroke
- combining skills to simulate a variety of scenarios
- switching between strokes on longer swims
- taking back float and treading breaks on longer swims
- diving in and swimming 28/50 yards using any of four strokes without stopping to rest
advanced self-rescue strategies using and/or wearing clothing and/or life jacket
Often mistaken for a beginner
stroke, breaststroke is best taken on
by students who already have
a solid foundation in strokes.
Level 5: Advanced Swimming
Objectives:
- to refine students' existing strokes for greater efficiency and injury prevention
- to further expand students' stroke repertoire so they can compete legally in any swim event
- to build students' strength and stamina so they can smoothly enter the water and complete a sustained swim/tread of several minutes' duration
Skills taught:
- treading water for 10 minutes
front crawl refinement, including bilateral breathing
Butterfly requires moving the
body in an entirely unique way.- elementary backstroke with whip kick
- breaststroke
- breaststroke turn
- butterfly
- butterfly turn
- shallow-angle dive from starting block
- front crawl racing start from block
- breaststroke racing start from block
- butterfly racing start from block
- back crawl racing start
Level 6: Expert Skills
Objectives:
- to give swimmers a greater edge in swim races
- to equip students to provide competent supervision for others in the water, and to respond appropriately to emergencies
to prepare students to take a lifeguard training course
Surface dives enable swimmers
to retrieve toys or, if they're
a rescuer, a submerged victim.
Skills taught:
- front crawl flip turn
- back crawl flip turn
- inverted sidestroke
- reaching assists
- throwing assists
- stride entry
- quiet entry
- approach strokes
- surface dives
- weighted treading
- sculling
- front crawl endurance swimming
