Ages 3 – 18
Beginner Swim Lessons
Overview
The core competencies for Swim School include functional life-safety water skills. The goal is not to teach swimming “strokes,” but rather to develop skills that would be useful for self-rescue and to develop a sense for how the body can move through the water. The goal of Swim School is also to set the foundation for learning correct strokes when the student is developmentally ready.
Each class will be assigned a ‘bay’ that is appropriate for learning proper techniques needed to improve their swimming skills.
Class Size: 4
Class Length: 30 Minutes
Ages: 3 & Up (classes are generally divided into like age ranges of preschool, school age, and teen)
LEVEL FINDER
Click here to help determine your swim level.
Beginner White
Prerequisite: Able to independently join class.
Focus: Readiness – trust and submersion
Safety Skill Benchmark: Always ask permission before getting in the water
Swim Skill Benchmark: Assisted submersion, relaxed, for 5 seconds; then come up to breathe
Skill Work
At this level, your swimmer will work on safely entering and exiting the water (including asking for permission to get in. Pouring water over their head & face, learning how to tuck and stand up in the water & relaxing & looking around underwater.
Beginner Red
Focus: Body position and air exchange
Safety Skill Benchmark: Put on a lifejacket, float on back, kick 6 m/10 ft
Swim Skill Benchmark: Jump in, submerge, recover for air, roll on back (kicking and finning) for 5 seconds*
*in swimwear and in regular clothes
Skill Work
In our red level swimmers will work on front and back floats, controlled bobbing in the water, recovery to a stand from front and back and kicking on their front and back for about 10 feet.
Beginner Yellow
Prerequisite: Able to complete the Red Swim & Safety Benchmarks
Focus: Forward movement and direction change
Safety Skill Benchmark: Tread water 10 seconds
Swim Skill Benchmark: Swim & Roll for air, 30 feet.
Skill Work
In the Yellow level swimmers will work on swimming face in and on their back. They will also learn to roll onto their back from face in swimming and how to change direction while swimming.
Beginner Blue
Prerequisite: Able to complete the Yellow Swim & Safety Benchmarks.
Focus: Streamlines & rotary movement.
Safety Skill Benchmark: Reach or throw assist
Swim Skill Benchmark: Swim with rotary breath, 15 feet.
Skill Work
In our Blue level swimmers will learn to streamline kick on both their back and front, swim underwater 3 feet, kick in a side breathing position and roll into a breathing position.
Beginner Green
Prerequisite: Able to complete the BlueSwim & Safety Benchmarks.
Focus: Water Competency.
Safety Skill Benchmark: Disorienting entries and recover.
Swim Skill Benchmark: Jump in, recover for air, tread water 1 minute, swim 50 yards
Skill Work
This is our final beginner class that leads to our Safer Swimmer Award. Swimmers will work on linking their strokes with their side breathing. We will also improve their treading water endurance and teach our swimmers how to DIVE into the pool!