I received an angry phone call from a parent (the parent was not at the swimming lesson): “My son is on a swim team and doesn’t need a life jacket. Why does he have to wear a life jacket during swimming lessons?”

Read my answer and insight on whether or not flotation devices should be used. View my entire new article just published on About.com

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you wondered how a flotation device could help a child learn to swim? In this article (and video below), you will learn and see the tremendous difference a progressive flotation device can make, and why!

Steps

1. Give the child’s self-confidence a boost. Are you confident about skills you can’t do? Of course you aren’t. And you hesitant to try something new that you know nothing about? Of course you are. Not to mention the added hesitation if you feel that you may be injured in the process of trying it, let alone drown. So the progressive buoyancy device gives the child confidence he needs to start practicing and developing swimming skills.
2. Increase practice time. The bottom line is that learning to swim is no different than learning any other sport skill. Improvement requires practice. If you can’t practice, you can’t learn. It’s very simple. If you utilize a progressive flotation device correctly, your students will improve skills quickly because of the increased practice time in which they are afforded due to wearing the device and not be dependant on someone to hold them.
3. Eliminate gross technique errors. Because the extent of the improvement is limited to the mechanics being used to perform the skill, the flotation device can really help a child’s ability to perform skills he/she wouldn’t otherwise be able to perform. Technique problems arise for the simple reason that the young children are survival swimming instead of being able to concentrate on doing the skill properly. One good comparison is asking a child to swing a major league size baseball bat. The child would be so busy just trying to lift the bat he couldn’t begin to swing it properly. This is precisely what occurs in the swimming pool. The child’s so busy trying “not to drown,” he has no chance of doing the skill correctly.
4. Motivate the learner using the “removable flotation” pads as rewards. As you will see in the video below, we call the flotation pads “bones” and in the first class, we tell the children that if they “swim like a puppy,” they will get a bone! We even have them bark and pretend they are puppies. Of course, as seen on the video, once the children are capable of swimming with their face in the water we teach them to do a “pop-up breath” and discontinue the dog paddle, but they still LOVE to get their bones!
5. Make learning to swim achievable and fun by giving the child enough buoyancy to be successful. Once again, as seen in the video below, you want to give the learner enough buoyancy to be successful. If the child is successful with a given amount of flotation, then you remove “one flotation pad” and let them try it with a little less buoyancy. By using this progressive buoyancy device with 9 removable flotation pads, you can take “baby steps” to swimming success, while you are making learning to swim challenging–but achievable.

Video

Watch how Jim Reiser, the author, teaches a small class of three and four year olds to swim using a progressive flotation device.

Sources and Citations

• Original source of article from Swim Lessons University. Shared with permission.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Teach a Child to Swim Using a Progressive Flotation Device. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

How can you teach water safety to children without a having a pool? Here are some ideas and video highlights that will help you get started!

Steps

1. FREE PRIZES. When I am asked to “take the stage” at an event like a Safety Fair or Children’s event at a mall, park, or children’s fair–the first challenge is always getting the kids to the stage. You can answer that challenge quite easily with a handful of free prizes. I usually have some economical goggles, pool toys, etc. and announce . . . “Girls and boys, children of all ages, come on up to the stage for a free water safety presentation. Bring your mom or dad with you too! I have stickers and lots of prizes too! Did you hear that boys and girls . . .free prizes! Come on up now! You’ll gather a crowd of children in a hurry!
2. STICKERS AND BALLOONS! The moment the children come up to the stage, we start putting stickers on the children and handing them helium balloons—all with our logo and contact information, along with a handout of the SAFER KIDS song (which you will use in a few minutes). Everyone loves free stuff and this certainly does the trick to stir up the excitement.
3. START YOUR PRESENTATION WITH QUESTION: Once you’ve gathered your audience. You want to engage them by asking a question. I like to ask, “How many of you are SAFE in the water?” Most of them will raise their hand. Then you really pull them in when you shock them with an animated “NO!” I usually act a little silly so I don’t scare them but stress and hammer home this point: “No one . . . not you, not your mom or dad, not even I am safe in the water!” And I can swim across the lake, I can swim a mile without stopping, and I’m even a swim teacher and a lifeguard—but that doesn’t make me safe. What we can be, you and me, is “safer.” Everyone say that . . . “Saferrrrrrrr.” The “r” in safer stands for “risk.” Where there is water, there is risk. But today, I’m going to teach you how you can be safer by following the Safer 3, a layered approach to water safety (that technical comment is aimed toward the parents but we are going to teach it to the children).
4. TEACH WATER SAFETY WITH A SONG. Continue the presentation by saying, “You have a song sheet with the words to the Safer Kids Song by Jim Reiser. I’m going to teach you that song so you can learn everything you need to know so that you can be safer when you’re in or around the water. Here’s how we’re going to do this: I will sing a verse of the song. Then you will sing that verse with me. Then we’ll talk about what we learned in that verse. Then after we learn each of the verses, we’ll put it all together. Ready, here we go with the first verse (same tune as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star): “Learning to swim is really cool, so you can have fun playing in the pool, but always make sure there’s a grown up watching you, that’s a safety tip that’s oh so true.” After you sing it, you talk about it. I may say, for example, “So you all agree learning to swim is really cool, right?” They say “yes!” “But what was that really important thing we learned in the first verse? To always make sure there’s a?” They all yell “grown up watching you!” So that’s the idea, and from there I move on to the next verse .
5. GIVE MORE PRIZES! In addition to keeping the children engaged during the 20-minute presentation with questions and participating in the singing, I will also throw out prizes, i.e., goggles, toys, t-shirts, temporary tattoos, to the children that answer the questions correctly. This technique really keeps them sitting on the edge of their seat!
6. GIVE CHILDREN HOMEWORK THAT CAN SAVE LIVES! Once I finish teaching the song, I get their attention again: “Now it’s time to give you your homework!” There are two parts two your homework. Part one; this song is my gift to you. Your homework is to practice this song every day until you can sing it without looking at the words. That way I know that you really know the safety rules. Part two . . . I want everyone to close their eyes. Now think of a relative or friend that you really care about (pause). Okay, open your eyes. I want you to teach them the song, just like I taught it to you. Then give your friend your copy of the song as a gift, and give them homework just like I gave you!
7. SHOW CHILDREN HOW THEY CAN SAVE LIVES BY DOING THEIR HOMEWORK. Over the course of the year, I will teach 2000 children the Safer Kids Song and I will give 2000 children this homework. Here’s a math word problem for you. If 2000 children learn this song and do their homework, thus teaching 2000 more children how to be safer in the water, how many children are now safer in the water? “4000!” I continue this example until we get up to 64,000, sometimes even 128,000, and make my point (plus get them to think and work on their math).
8. THANK YOU! Lastly, I enthusiastically thank everyone for coming and tell them I hope to see them in one of our “learn to swim” classes soon!

Video

Watch Swim Lessons University’s Jim Reiser teach a group of 2nd graders using many of the strategies discussed in the above article.

Sources and Citations

• Original Source: www.swimlessonsuniversity.com
• All proceeds from the SAFER KIDS WATER SAFETY BOOK AND DVD are donated to the Swim for Life Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that teaches the Safer 3 to prevent childhood drownings.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Teach Children Water Safety Without a Swimming Pool. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Do you approach your preschool lessons differently than your school aged lessons?   I do now!

In my latest article on About.com: swimming, you can learn my new approach to teaching swim lessons for preschoolers, including why and how it’s different!

Teaching a baby or toddler to swim can be an invaluable experience.

In my most recent article on About.com, I answer three frequently asked questions about swim lessons for infants and toddlers.

1.  Can a baby or toddler learn to swim?

2.  Can an infant or toddler learn freestyle or backstroke?

3.  Can you drown proof an infant or toddler?

Not only will you learn the three types of approaches to teaching babies and toddlers and which one is recommended, you will also get a free sample teaching progression for infants and toddlers.   View the article now on About.com

Jim Reiser’s article,  How to Choose a Swim Instructor, was selected as a “Rising Star” and featured on the WikiHow home page under “new articles.”

By the way, Swim Lessons University’s feature of the week is “Bathtub Baby 101,” How to Make Bath Time Your Baby’s First Swimming Lesson, and it is discounted this week only by 20%!  So you can have it now for just $15.00!

This DVD is especially helpful for parents with babies between the ages 4 weeks and 6 months, helping parents get their baby more prepared for their first swimming lesson.  Because most swim schools don’t start formal instruction until at least 6 months of age, this is the perfect starter DVD for every parent of a newborn baby!

To learn more about it, view the sample video now!

How to Teach Group Swimming Lessons

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Have you ever wondered if there were some simple tips that could help make teaching swimming to small groups (6-12 students) easier? You’re in luck! Here are some teaching strategies that will make teaching easier for you (View our DVD Video on Teaching Group Swim Lessons), and more effective for your students:

Steps

1. Use your voice effectively. If you’re teaching a group, you will have to talk much louder than if you were teaching just a couple children. Make sure not to strain your voice (look up tips for saving your voice), but most importantly keep your commands and instructions short and to the point. The video provides more information on voice techniques.
   • In this example, which would be more effective? A. “Okay class, I want everyone to pay attention and listen closely to my directions.” B. “Oy!” The answer is “example B.” “Oy” means “attention” and is precisely 13 less words than “example A.”
2. Use proximity, touch, and facial expressions to communicate. An example structure could be moving in closer to the student that is not paying attention, putting a hand on their shoulder, and giving them a “look” of disapproval.
3. Use “buzzwords” and cues instead of long or winded instructions. If you’re teaching freestyle side breathing, for example, avoid saying: “Okay, I want you to start turning your head as your pulling hand passes under your body. Then take your breath and start returning your face back into the water as your dominant hand recovers and you begin recovering your other arm.” Instead, say, “Breathe, stroke one, stroke two.” Wasn’t that easy, precise, and to the point? And in just 5 words you communicate your message to the entire group.
4. Maximize practice space and practice time. Give each student a number or a color. For example, go to each child and say, “red group,” next child “blue group,” next child, “red,” next child, “blue, etc.” Since every other child is in an opposite group, you have maximized your space. In large groups, you may even want to go with three groups. In order to maximize practice time, have one group go, and then when that group is 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the rope or wall, have the other group go. This way you are maximizing practice time and eliminating as much down time as possible.
5. Use a flotation vest for beginners. Nothing is more important than safety and practice time. By using a flotation device (preferably a progressive one), you can increase practice time and keep your beginners safer.
6. Use choral responding techniques. Most swim instructors make the mistake of doing all the talking which is a huge mistake when teaching group lessons from both a learning and behavior standpoint. Instead, give yourself and your students an “edge” be engaging them in the process. For example, let’s say that you want to teach your students the cues/buzzwords for the back kick. Simply state, “say what I say” or “repeat after me:” “Ears in the water,” they repeat, “Tummies up,” they repeat, “Small, fast kicks,” they repeat. Not only are they learning but by involving them in your presentation, you eliminate many behavior issues.

Video

Watch the “Swim Professor” demonstrate a sampling of some of the techniques you just read about above and more!

Sources and Citations

• Original source of article from Swim Lessons University. Shared with permission.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Teach Group Swimming Lessons. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Dunking Infants and Babies is always a big topic of discussion when it comes to learn-to-swim and swimming lessons for infants and toddlers.    Should baby swimmers or toddler swimmers be dunked or not?

View my recent article on About.com and the five rules I train swim instructors to follow when it comes to Infant-toddler swim classes.

Watch 7 minutes of sample video footage from Teaching Babies Better,  Jim Reiser’s brand new Swim Lessons DVD for Infant & Toddlers!

In Teaching Babies Better, ” The Swim Professor” shares 22 Ways to Improve Infant & Toddler Swim Lessons, while also showing awesome underwater footage and sound teaching principals throughout the Baby Swimming presentation for water safety and swim instructors.

Did you know that over half of all drownings for babies occur in bath tubs?  According to Safe Kids world wide, that is a fact.   View my FREE YouTube video on Drowning Prevention & Water Safety for infants, toddlers, and young children.

Because we KNOW that infants and toddlers are drowning  in the winter too (because they drown in bath tubs)–PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO WITH A FRIEND who has a little one.  You could save a life simply by  “sharing” this information.

You could also go a step further and invest $19.00 in a Christmas gift for a relative or friend, and give them a gift to show you really care– the Bathtub Baby 101 DVD, A Baby’s First Swimming Lesson.  View a free video sample of Bathtub Baby 101 and see all the wonderful tips every mother and father could put to use with for their baby’s baths.

Bathtub Baby 101 also covers

• How to prepare your bathroom
• How to prepare your baby
• How to hold your baby
• How and what skills to teach your baby
• How to comfort your baby if he/she cries
• How to ensure a happy experience

Every parent wants to do everything possible  to protect their baby, which is one of the primary objectives of this DVD.  You want to prepare your baby for a lifelong love affair with the water, and Bathtub Baby 101 is the beginning of that journey.

Lastly, make sure to take advantage of the FREE RESOURCES on our website on the Safer 3, that teaches drowning prevention through education.