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Basic Information Guide On How We Teach Swimming

Teaching swimming is a complex process. The following is not exact, it is just a basic information guide to help you understand how we start teaching children to swim, and we hope it may give you insight into the approach we take & what we are aiming for.

The Swimming Teachers Association (STA), the world’s leading and most experienced swimming teachers organisation, has devised a progressive and comprehensive series of awards covering the essential areas of aquatic skills for everyone, Water Wings Swim School is a member of the STA and we aim to develop our pupils using the awards along with our dedication & experience.

Some other swim schools do not teach breaststroke as a first stroke, as it is a difficult stroke to master. It is easier to get a child to lie on their back/front & use an alternating leg kick, so they teach backstroke & front crawl first.

We do follow the fundamentals of the multi stroke technique as we teach; front/back leg kick 1^stto gain confidence, but then move on to the more difficult simultaneous arm/kick movement of breaststroke. Once the arm/kick action of breaststroke is achieved children will begin to learn backstroke arms. Once both strokes are mastered we move on to front crawl & lastly butterfly.

Teaching Stages
(Based On Confident Beginner Age 5)

	1. We use swim rings instead of armbands because we believe they keep the body in the correct position in the water. The lower body tends to drop in the water when using arm bands as the support is from the upper arm, but with rings the support is all around the body, so it is easier to gain confidence & a better body position. It is also easier to practice arms & legs separately, without the use of floats & gain a better arm movement. Children do progress to using arm discs once breaststroke has been achieved. We also use arm discs in the small pool to gain confidence.
	2. When children first attend we assess them to ensure they are all suited to the right class. We assess their ability/confidence, can they safely enter & exit a pool. We also look at there body alignment in the water & if they are holding their mouths clear of the water & are they able to stand up from a front/back position. Depending on the outcome is to how we then proceed. We want children to be confident in the water before commencing stroke technique. They may require confidence practice/body positioning or can progress on to breaststroke arms. When children first attend we work on body alignment & movement through the water using correct front crawl leg technique.
	3. When children first attend they start in the small pool and then progress to the large pool. This is for a number of reasons; safety & children’s confidence are the most important to us. The children benefit from the teacher being in the water for their safety and because we are able to physically correct their arms/legs as they are swimming, so even confident swimmers may spend some time in the small pool.
	4. We then introduce breaststroke arms /backstroke legs / jumping in / body positioning / breathing exercises / confidence.
	5. Next we progress to breaststroke legs. This is the most difficult to learn & requires a lot of practice to master correctly, that is why we offer homework sheets, so parents may become involved & children can practice at home. Please bear in mind the lesson are only ½ hour once per week, so extra help with you is highly beneficial.
	6. Once the children are correctly doing both their breaststroke arms & legs, we begin to teach them how to sequence the two together.
	7. We spend time at the end of each lesson in the small pool encouraging breathing exercises leading to face submersion. From there we teach front crawl and backstroke legs whilst wearing swim rings, progressing to using swim floats, then progressing to completing a push & glide and movement through the water using front/backcrawl kick with no swim aids. 8.We use a wide variety of water toys when teaching :- Watering cans to encourage face wetting, Sinking frogs and stars to encourage submersion, Straws to encourage correct breathing in and out under the water, Footballs to chase and encourage movement through the water.
	9. We use the Swimming Teacher awards scheme & vary in our choice of awards depending on a child’s age & level of experience. With a complete beginner we usually start with the ‘Octopus’ badge & certificates, there are 3 levels & they cover a wide range to teach & ways to develop. The following are Water Wings teaching objectives during the first 3 awards undertaken.

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Level 1

Introduce:

Rules & regulations for pool use
Hygiene
Water safety
Safe entry to the pool
Safe exit
Regaining feet, prone & supine
Front & back paddle
Movement through the water
Alternating leg action front & back
Body position awareness
Exhaling into the water

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Level 2

	Reinforce:	Rules & regulations for pool use Safe entries & exits Skills learnt in previous award
	Introduce:	Push & glides front & back Breaststroke arm action Swimming without aids - 2 metres Breaststroke leg Backstroke arm action
	Develop:	Water confidence & body position Face wetting & blowing bubbles Push & glide front & back Controlling body position in the water with the use of head, hands & legs Water safety knowledge Interaction & playing games

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Level 3

	Reinforce:	Rules & regulations for pool use Safe entries & exits Skills learnt in previous awards
	Introduce:	Dolphin leg action Sculling Rhythmical breathing
	Develop:	Water confidence Awareness of body position prone & supine Front paddle Back paddle Breaststroke arms & leg action Submersion & breath control Swimming without aids – 5 metres Water safety Interaction & playing games (through game the children develop skills)

By the end of level 3 children we aim for children to be swimming 5 metres breaststroke without the use of swim aids.

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