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123 Swimming Lessons

Teach Your Child To Swim!

Does ISR Swimming Work?

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A question that I get asked more & more about is, “Does ISR swimming work?”

I figured I would give my OPINION, coming from an instructors point of view on the topic.

This is not a post to bash ISR swim instructors.

From An Instructors Point Of View!

I never cared to learn about ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) until later in life.

Since I was 17, I had been teaching swimming but had not seen ISR until YouTube recommended it.

After watching videos of babies rolling over, back floating, taking a breath and giving parents time to rescue them, It definitely was intriguing.

I must say that it is what you want your child to do if you’re not around & they fell in the pool.

My wife & I looked into it more in hopes to offer another style of lessons just in case someone really wanted it. Ultimately we decided not to offer ISR aka (Infante Self Rescue) style.

Why ISR swim instruction does NOT work in my opinion after learning some facts!

ISR swim instruction is ineffective because it only focuses on teaching children to submerge & float. Instead of teaching them the proper stroke technique & how to swim.

The way in which ISR is introduced is very shocking to a child’s system that is not familiar with the water. There is no slow intro to help a child understand the water before entering.

ISR heavily relies on repetition, which might not be effective for some children & can cause frustration and exhaustion.

ISR does not include drills or stroke technique, which can hinder a swimmer’s progress & growth.

Lastly, ISR does not offer any type of progress tracking. This makes it challenging for instructors to measure if their students are improving or not.

In Conclusion:

For 18+ years, I have taught everyone from babies to adults.

This style of instruction can be shocking for a child who is not used to the water. It can be especially difficult for a child who is scared and needs to be eased into the water.

I don’t want to criticize this teaching style since it has worked for many people, but I prefer to have a good relationship with my students and parents.

What Age Swimming Lessons Should Be Introduced.

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The real question?

I frequently get asked by parents what age swimming lessons should be introduced to their children? This is a very good question & I figured I would answer it for everyone.

Normally I would say there’s no correct answer for some questions. For this question what age swimming lessons should be introduced, the correct answer is the earliest you possibly can. I am a parent myself of 2 boys & I personally started introducing both of my kids as early as 3 months old. Of course if it is the middle of winter & you don’t have a heated pool then yes wait until the summer to enter the pool.

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Honestly you don’t need a pool to introduce your baby to the water. One thing I always tell my families that you can simply use your bathtub & or shower to get them use to the water. Babies pick up the basics of being in the water quickly.

Some examples:

For example holding their breath is the first thing you can work on in a bathtub or shower. Showing them how to blow bubbles & baby splashing helps them know when they need to hold their breath. Your baby will have to go through choking on some water in order to realize that its a good idea to hold their breath.

In the shower you can throw them off guard with splashing the water on their face. It prepares them for the water & learning to hold their breaths quickly before they hit a body of water. It is a simple tool but a very important tool.

Final Thoughts….

I can’t sit here & say that your baby will learn how to swim laps in the pool as a 6 months old because that’s not what happens. You will be surprised at what babies can do in the water when the repetitions are put forth.

For me the most important thing would be teaching them to hold their breath as early as possible. The safety behind them having time if something was to happen is always my main thing. After that let everything else come as it does. Remember we want them to have fun & enjoy the water don’t push things if it doesn’t need to be pushed.

Should Your Swim Instructor Have WSI?

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What is a WSI?

I always get the question, “Should your swim instructor have a WSI? Well what is a WSI? A WSI is short for water safety instructor.

Water Safety Instructor certification focuses on preparing candidates to teach the Red Cross Swim programs, it teaches candidates to introduce & develop fitness activities, skills & water safety & swimming skills in several Red Cross programs.

Can a swim instructor still teach without one?

Why yes of course! A WSI does not make you a good instructor, nor does obtaining one make you one either. It is an instruction book for others to teach or instruct others on how to swim.

Curtis & JoAnna Knight

A WSI may be required if you are working at a facility. Whether it be the YMCA, community pool, etc. Although depending on what pool you are working at they may also require you to attend their training’s and sessions, and it may be required of you if you will be associated with a well-known swimming organization.

Certifications are available, but it is up to the facility whether or not they are required.

Now contrary to popular belief, to be able to teach someone how to swim, you must know how to swim yourself.

You must be able to deliver basic instruction. In time the instructor will develop a personal technique, a technique that works for many.

They are open minded and know that not every person learns the same, so they should be able to accommodate different learning styles. Visual & audible for example. And know that learning a life skill in the water may take longer for each individual.

So should you pick a swim instructor with a WSI?

Well the answer will come with your preference. If you’d like your swim instructor to come prepped with a cookie cutter lesson plan, that does not necessarily cater to you, but everyone, or a swim instructor with many years experience of teaching in the water and adjusts technique, identifies safety skills, and is connected with you/your child/or whomever is being instructed.

Then it is not required, but if it is your preference and important to you then there is nothing wrong with seeking instructors that have them. You may just find them at community pools or swim schools.

Learning To Swim At An Early Age

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Benefits of learning to swim at an early age

We all know the saying goes, “Children are like sponges, they absorb everything around them”. Learning to swim at an early age goes really without saying. Many parents don’t even think about swim lessons until the first summer that they have that little 1 – 3 yr old toddler. It is then that they realize how much time they will be spending by some body of water in the coming summers.

 

As a parent there are certain fears or possibilities that I put into my head that can stop me from letting my child experience things that can actually save his life. When you think about leaving your child by the pool, bathtub and other bodies of water. Do you know for sure that your child would have the trained instinct to safe themselves?

Swimming lessons at an early age:

  • Starting swim lessons for your child at 3-4 months of age will already help them with holding their breathe & learning the motions of kicking in the water.
  • Will help teach them to close their eyes under water early
  • Many may not know that actual physical strength and endurance are being performed when you are performing these actions with your baby & or toddler.
  • Babies learn early to turn back to the wall and grab the wall. Actions of hand movement around the sides of the pool let them know early where the safety zones are.
  • Also can’t forget back-floating. Once a child can relax into a back-float it is very comforting know that they are that comfortable & they now know their buoyancy.

Each one of these are very highly beneficial to any parent. Just know is always a good thing to start with the benefits of learning to swim at an early age so your child can develop quicker each year.

 

For any of your swim lessons questions contact us here: 123 Swimming Lessons Contact

What Do I Tell My Child After A Drowning Happens?

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What do I tell my child after a drowning?

 

Never did I think I would have to answer the question, “What do I tell my child after a drowning happens”? Have to admit was never ready for that question.

Hey swimmers its ya boy Curtis Knight your online swim instructor. Today I ran into a mother of one of my students I coach swimming lessons to during the summer. As soon as she saw me I could tell she knew exactly what she wanted to ask me and seemed worried. Straight away I put down whatever it was I was doing to see what was wrong.

She began to tell me that a friend of her child in preschool class passed away & the cause was drowning. I was stuck like a deer in headlights processing what she said. I had to recite it back to her & I realized that it was very close to home for her & she really didn’t know what to tell her child.

In this case I really thought about what was coming out of my mouth, being that this subject is not a light subject at all. You really don’t think about the kids that have just learned how to swim & that they were terrified of the water in the first place, NOW THIS HAPPENS!!! Of course you are going to have to have an answer to some questions your child will ask about the pool again. Really & honestly there is no one way to approach this situation but I can help with things that may come up.

Some Ways To Prepare For This Question:

  • Don’t bring up the subject of drowning unless your child does. (No need to stir the pot)
  • Remind them that they have, or are taking swim lessons. To reassure their confidence of “this is why” we…… (practice, don’t swim alone, etc.)
  • Go over safety skills with them to reaffirm their SAFETY.
  • Let them know the reason you have a gate around your pool, or a sound alarm, etc.
  • Practice in the bathtub. (Bathtubs are a great place to start & continue water skills because of the comfort kids have in tubs)
  • Before swimming or water events kindly go over the rules in and around the water.
  • Honesty is the best policy. I’m not telling you to scare your child, I’m telling you to find that fine line of being honest about dangers of the pool, and that mistakes happen and sometimes the results are permanent.

Parenting is never an easy thing, we all try our very best to make sure we say and do the right things. Just be sure that it’s coming from a place of love and sincerity.

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