According to the American Institute of Preventative Medicine, DROWNING is the leading cause of accidental death of children age 5 & under, and 2^nd only to automobile accidents to children age 6-14.  The number of children we lose every year to drowning is very troubling.  Especially when we know that in most cases–drowning is preventable.  One problem is that too many parents have the mindset that it can’t happen to them.

There are TWO REASONS for that:

• Parents naturally OVERESTIMATE their child’s swimming ability.
• Parents UNDERESTIMATE how quickly and quietly a child drowns.

While most people think that there would be water thrashing and a real struggle before someone drowns, that’s not how drowning looks or sounds at all.  It’s not like in the movies, children drown without a sound.  If a child can’t swim and doesn’t grab the wall, what would happen?  Like any other drowning victim, would have one goal:  Try to breathe.  What would he breathe if his face was submerged?  Water.  So you would hear nothing.  And in far too many cases, the toddler breathes in water, slips underwater, and within as little as 90 seconds he is unconscious.   In as little as 2 minutes, even with the best resuscitation efforts, the outcome is not good, i.e., a parents worst nightmare, brain damage, even death.

For more information on drowning prevention, water safety, and learning to swim, contact Jim Reiser at Swim Lessons University.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

After Michael Morris of The Samual Morris Foundation flew into Columbia, South Carolina to visit with Jim Reiser and learn more about the Water Smart 101 program, WIS-TV in Columbia’s Judi Gatson and Meaghan Norman were excited to spread the word about this potentially life saving program.

The Water Smart 101 program, inspired by SC State Representative Wendell Gilliard, has enormous potential in the fight against drowning, which could not only prevent drownings in children in South Carolina, but around the nation, and even around the globe which was evident by Michael Morris’s visit to South Carolina.   There is currently at least one school in Texas planing to implement the Water Smart 101 program this school year, every school in Charleston County, SC has implemented it in 2012.  Representative Gilliard is also encouraging all public schools in SC to implement this one-hour water safety course in 2013 and beyond.

Richland School District One students in Columbia, SC was the first school district to reap the benefits of the program.  Jim Reiser’s local swim school, The Swim Lessons Company, has been teaching swimming lessons and the water safety program to it’s second graders since 2006.  Reiser, the Water Smart 101 course author, has developed the course over the past 6 years into what now features an interactive video, a lesson plan, a water safety promise that involves the parent and child, a review, and a Water Smart exam the next day.

Here is the latest news coverage on the Water Smart 101 program featuring interviews from both Jim Reiser and Michael Morris of Australia:

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

We were honored and humbled to have Michael Morris of The Samuel Morris Foundation visit us here in Columbia, SC all the way from Australia.   Michael and his wife Jo-Ann are on a mission to reduce drownings and near drownings in Australia and around the globe.  As Michael mentions in the interview, one of the reasons he visited us was to discuss the Swim Lessons University Water Smart 101 program.   A program that was recently introduced to 46,000 children in Charleston County schools.  A program in which S.C. State Representative Wendell Gilliard wants to see in all S.C. public schools, and a program we would love to share with the rest of the world.

Michael and his wife Jo-Ann Morris have created the The Samual Morris Foundation.  The organization is in the name and inspired by their son Samual Morris.  Samual is an unfortunate victim of a near drowning tragedy.  As a result of this accident, Samuel experienced a severe Hypoxic Brain Injury and was left with a range of severe disabilities.

We hope this interview  (and we apologize the audio isn’t better) will help parents around the world understand better how to prevent unnecessary tragedies like this one.  We hope you will look at utilizing the Water Smart 101 program to teach your children how to be safer when in and around the water, and make the water a safer place for all our children.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame has named Jim Reiser the recipient of the 2015 Virginia Hunt Newman Award for his curriculum and approach in teaching infants, toddlers, and children to swim.  Jim is the first American to win the award in 10 years.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University certification program and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com  We have training and certification programs designed for both private instructors as well as organizations like YMCAs, Recreation Departments, Athletic Clubs, and more.

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

TOO MANY PARENTS THINK THAT WHEN THEIR CHILD CAN SWIM UNDERWATER THAT THEY DON’T NEED ANY MORE LESSONS!

Does your swim school experience this problem?   Of course it’s not only a problem for swim school business, it’s a very serious problem for the child’s safety.  I would like to share with you today a couple ideas I have when it comes to SWIM LESSON OBJECTIVES.

Number one, I have created a motivational awards bracelet system that includes a safety component: Water Safety System.

Number two, I have developed a set of Benchmarks/Swimming Proficiency Test Questions to help swim parents understand not only the importance of learning to swim, but what  children are capable of and should learn at a variety of given ages.  Here they are:

Would your child survive?

Only automobile accidents take more lives than drowning for children ages 1-14.   How well does your child swim?    Would your child survive an accidental fall into the water?

Can your child pass the following swim tests?

1 – 2 years olds: Can your child comfortably hold his breath and swim a short distance for up to 5 seconds?  Pass / Fail

2 – 3 years olds: Can your child get back to the side of the pool from a standing entry?  Pass / Fail

3 – 4 years olds: Can your child swim with the face in the water and get a breath when needed for at least 15 feet?  Pass / Fail

4 – 5 years olds: Can your child swim 30 feet of backstroke and freestyle with side breathing?  Pass / Fail

Pediatric Drowning Prevention Guidelines Updated

I will be heading up to my home state of Pennsylvania next weekend to attend the 9th Annual Drowning Prevention Symposium on April 26th and April 27th.  Many of my friends know that I am a Johnstown, PA native and did my undergraduate work at California University of PA, not to mention that I spent half my youth at swim meets in Pittsburgh!  At any rate,  I’m looking forward to visiting my family and friends on Friday and Saturday before heading to the NDPA event on Sunday.

If you are attending I look forward to you visiting with me.  I will have all my Swim Lessons University DVD’s, as well as my new Swim Lessons Awards Progression & Water Safety Bracelet system available at my exhibit. Mention this blog and I will give you an automatic 10% discount on any of the Swim Lessons University educational tools!

Hope to see you at the Sheraton at Station Square!

Listen, 1x per week of swimming lessons is clearly 100% better than ZEROx per week, and 1x per week is a great way to maintain swimming skills over the winter and certainly make some improvement.

However, IF you increase the frequency of swim lessons/practice from 1x per week to 2x per week you will CLEARLY see a significant difference in the speed/rate of improvement.  STUDY AFTER STUDY clearly suggest when you increase frequency, you increase the learning rate.

As a parent of two young children (and one on the way:)–I UNDERSTAND HOW NICELY ONCE PER WEEK fits  in our busy schedules and I am okay with that in the fall and winter.  But when spring time comes, it’s time to increase the frequency. LEARNING TO SWIM is so important for the safety of our children.

Soccer, Karate, Basketball, Gymnastics, Dance, etc. are all skills that are TERRIFIC for young children to be exposed to and learn.  But if your child is going to master a musical instrument, excel at a sport, or if you are just trying to stay fit– do you really think once per week is enough?  How much weight will you lose if you diet and exercise once per week?

Summer is coming and coming fast!  In fact, if your child starts swimming lessons on March 15th and goes 2x per week until June 1st–you will get 22 lessons in before summer.  On average, it takes a 20-30 lessons for a 3 – 5 year old to learn to swim across the pool without a flotation device or assistance from a teacher.

So WHY NOT 1X PER WEEK?  I suppose you know now:)  If you live in the midlands of South Carolina–enroll your child in a swimming class today at The Swim Lessons Company.

My Definition of Swimming and Swimming Skill Benchmarks

What does it mean to learn to swim?  In an effort to help my “swim lessons parents” understand what a child can potentially learn at a variety of ages, I developed a list of “Swimming Skill Benchmarks”  for infants, toddlers, and young children.  Because the question, “How long will it take my child to learn to swim” is asked so often, I thought it would be helpful to define swimming in terms of a child’s reasonable capabilities at a variety of ages.   This, of course, is assuming the child is being instructed by a swimming professional (not your local pool lifeguard).

While I don’t believe it is necessary or even a good idea for children should  to be enrolled in swimming lessons 12 months out of the year, I do believe that learning to swim should be TOP PRIORITY and even take priority over other activities (if necessary).   To clarify further, my own children participate in a variety of activities for both fitness and skill acquisition, i.e., soccer, basketball, karate, and gymnastics to name a few.   Nevertheless–it is my professional opinion as both a physical educator and water safety professional every child should be able to swim freestyle and backstroke across a pool (5 year old benchmark below) by 6 years of age.  AND I don’t think that spending month after month in other activities INSTEAD of learning to swim, for example, is a good idea.  Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children age five and under for a reason, and while  learning to swim should never replace Constant Adult Supervision–it does save many more lives than t-ball, soccer, dance, etc.

It is very important to me that the following set of benchmarks be used to help parents understand what their child is capable of doing in terms of swimming skills, but this list should NEVER be used as a critique of any kind.  Children should be allowed to progress at their own pace in a child-friendly, child-centered environment.  FOR YOUR CHILD’S SAKE–KEEP THESE SIMPLE GUIDELINES IN MIND:

1. Encourage and complement your child on what he/she is doing well.
2. Leave the constructive criticisms to the teacher.
3. Love and support your child unconditionally.

You want your child to develop a life long love affair with the water.  Allow him/her to progess at their own pace.   With that in mind, here are my SWIMMING SKILL BENCHMARKS:

3 months: Baby is capable of happily having water gently poured over the head using our conditioning method (as shown in my Bathtub Baby 101 DVD available on our website for just $19.00).

6 months: Baby is capable of performing a “brief underwater pass” with our Parent & Me class experiences.

12 months:  Baby is capable of a “brief underwater swim” with our Parent & Me class experiences.

18 months: Toddler is capable of maneuvering himself thru the water for 3-5 seconds using the legs for propulsion (independently from mom/dad to the teacher) with our Parent & Me class experiences.

24 – 36 months:

• Toddler is capable of getting back to the side of the pool from a sitting entry with our Parent & Me class experiences.

• 30 months: Toddler is capable of swimming with face in the water for 7-10 feet with our Parent & Me class experiences.

• 36 months: Toddler is capable of getting back to the side of the pool from a standing entry with our Parent & Me class experiences.

3 ½ years: Child is capable of swimming with the face in the water and breathing as needed using a “pop-up breath” or “roll-over breath” with our Swim 101 class experiences.

4 years: Child is capable of swimming freestyle with the face-in-the-water for 20 feet with our Swim Strokes 201 class experiences.

5 years: Child is capable of swimming Freestyle with side breathing and Backstroke for 30 feet with our Swim Strokes 201 class experiences.

6 years: Child is capable of swimming a 100-yard individual medley (25 yards of each stroke:  butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle) competently with Advanced Swim Strokes 301 class and our entry-level swim team class experiences.

If you would like to learn more about the Swim Lessons University Online Swim Instructor Certification  and curriculum, make sure to visit us at www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Swim Lessons University is currently being utilized by recreation departments, YMCAs, America Camp Association swim lessons programs, as well as by private swimming instructors in 45 states and over 30 countries!

You can also call us toll free at 1-866-498-SWIM (7946).

How to Teach a Child to Back Float in Swim Lessons in 60 Seconds or Less

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Would you like to learn how to teach a young child (age 3 & over) to float on the back in one minute or less? Read on!

Steps

1. Drop the Back Float from the Lesson Plan when Teaching a True Beginner! Because floating on the back requires the student to relax—beginner swimmers do not have the necessary prerequisite skills to learn the back float. It is simply a waste of time.
2. Why Is It a Waste of Time? Beginner swimmers don’t know how to relax yet, and because of that, far too much time has to be devoted to learning to float on the back. Therefore, teachers unnecessarily waste valuable practice time teaching the back float too soon.
3. Skill Breeds Confidence. Teach the beginner swimmer skills. Nervousness won’t prevent your beginners from learning other swimming skills in which all beginners can learn. So instead, teach breath holding, breath control, kicking on the front and back, and swimming with the face above and even in the water.
4. Confidence Breeds Relaxation. Now that your student has developed a sound repertoire of skills, you don’t have to teach the child to relax. Relaxation comes naturally.
5. Back Float Naturally! A child who is confident and has developed some foundational swimming skills will learn to back float in a fraction of the time. In fact, if you drop back floating from the lesson plan while your student develops skills, confidence and learns how to relax, your student learn will learn to back float in 1 minute or less!

Video

Watch a free video sampling of Jim Reiser using both fun and innovative methods to teaching young children to swim.

Sources and Citations

• Original Source, www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com
• Visit Swim Lessons University for more information on instructional swimming DVD’s for swim teachers and parents.

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 Back Float in Swim Lessons in 60 Seconds or Less. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

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