The Swim Professor

Jim Reiser, M.S.

Swim Lessons University Super Conference: Swim Lesson Ideas & Infant-Toddler Swimming

Just finished final preparations for my first talk in at the Swim Lessons University Super Conference in Indianapolis and Las Vegas.   Take a sneak preview of what will be addressed and swim lesson ideas in the talk titled:  Infant-Toddler Swimming:  Practical Benchmarks and Progressions

  • Brand new benchmarks for Infants & Toddlers
  • 3 Types of Infant-Toddler Swimming Lessons
  • How your product will determine your success
  • Should your lessons involve crying?
  • VIDEO FOOTAGE of my Parent & Me classes including some that NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE!
  • What parents KNOW (and what they DON’T KNOW!)
  • A waste of time?
  • Is the next Michael Phelps in your class?
  • What parents need to know
  • Educating your Swim Lesson parents
  • A personal email to Jim Reiser

I hope you will join me to hear “the rest of the story” at the Swim Lessons University Super Conference in Indianapolis or Las Vegas.  Register now for just $75 and receive 5 FREE Online Tests & Certificate programs ($50 value) PLUS MUCH MORE!

Trust me, I am making this conference worth your while!  Register today at www.swimlessonsuniversity.com

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August 15, 2010 at 3:26 pm Comments (0)

“Developmental characteristics of a 2 year old” and applications

Each child is certainly unique,  and according to the McKesson Clinical Reference Systems, it is difficult to describe exactly what to expect at each stage of the child’s development.  However,  I thought you would enjoy me sharing some of the common trends in development for two year olds.  Socially, these are some common characteristics:

  • Imitates with considerable realism
  • may have an imaginary playmate
  • enjoys playing among, not with, other children
  • does not share
  • claims everything is “mine”
  • may scratch, hit, bite and push other children

Emotionally, the “terrible twos” get upset and are not very patient.  Especially when they are frustrated or not understood.  Often the two year old will strike out or show anger by crying.    They want their own way, they assert themselves by saying “no!”   It’s important, from a practical standpoint as we teach and or parent, that we understand what is going on developmentally at this age.   One thing we know we can do as a “preventative” is to keep a routine.   When the routine changes, that is often a trigger for the sharp mood change.

Physically, two year olds, especially boys, like to be in constant motion.  By implementing strategies to keep them active, we are much more successful.    The most challenging part as a teacher or parent is that mentally two year olds are in the “do-it-by-myself” stage.   This can be dangerous, of course, because they will attempt to do things they may not be ready for, i.e., jumping in the pool without your spot, going down the steps without holding on to the banister, or jumping off furniture!

You can’t do much “reasoning” most of the time, so you have to determine what your little one can and can’t do from a safety standpoint, let alone from a behavior standpoint.  You do have to teach them boundaries and there place in society, in the family, etc.   They have to learn it one way or the other.  As my two year old’s pediatrician said, if your two year old doesn’t throw a tantrum now and then–you are way to easy on him!

For more on teaching and parenting the “terrible two’s,” check out  my recent podcast.

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July 15, 2010 at 5:37 pm Comments (0)

Follow Swim Lessons University on Facebook and/or SwimProfessor on Twitter

Follow Swim Lessons University on Facebook and/or swimprofessor on twitter!

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July 11, 2010 at 12:59 pm Comments (0)

Swim Lessons University Conference will feature Practical Benchmarks & Progressions for Infants & Toddlers

Infant-toddler Swimming will be the emphasis in my first presentation at the Swim Lessons University Super Conference this fall (both in Indianapolis and in Las Vegas).  We have come so far in this area, but some go “too far” and others “don’t go far enough.”   I will be address this and share video as well so you know exactly what you are looking to accomplish on various skills and exercises.

As you probably know first hand, you are teaching the parents as much as the babies or toddlers in this class, and how you approach that is instrumental in your success.  In addition, my personal experience is that some parents often have unrealistic expectations, while others don’t realize what their little one can accomplish if they just “stick with it.”  Because of this, I came up with a set of practical benchmarks for infants, toddlers, and children of all ages and what children, on average, are capable of accomplishing at different ages.   I have found that by sharing this with parents that it helps incredibly in terms of their expectations and keeping them involved for the long term.

Teaching Babies Better is my goal.  Making learning a child-focused, enjoyable experience, though, has to be the backbone of our philosophy.   If you attend the Swim Lessons University conference this fall, I know that it is yours too!

Please feel free to email me at jreiser@swimprofessor.com any topics or problems that you would like me to address in my Infant-Toddler Presentation. I will be happy to try and work them in, and at the very least, address them in the Questions and Answers part of the talk.

Look forward to seeing you.   You are going to love the power point presentation which will include plenty of video of our precious little baby swimmers!

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July 9, 2010 at 2:06 pm Comments (0)

What more can a good two-year old swimmer learn in the SLU Parent & Me classes?

Dear Teachers & Parents:

I received an email today with a VERY COMMON QUESTION from a parent who has a young two year old in our Parent & Me class who is doing wonderfully.  However, and I think this happens often, there was a misunderstanding that because of the progress the little one was making, that continuing in the same class may be a waste of time.  As instructors and swim school owners, it is vital that we communicate the message that I did today.  If we don’t, the child’s progress will likely stop.   So here it is, enjoy:

Dear Coach Jim,

We are really pleased with Laura’s progress in her swim lessons.  Her teacher, Coach M.,  said she thought Laura was physically ready for the next class, but your 101 class is 3 and up…Laura is only 2 and 6 weeks.  Do you think she could enroll in 101 despite her age, or is that a strict rule?  We just don’t want her to lose the skills she has already gotten, and it seems a waste to take the Parent and Me class again.

Thanks!

Allen

Dear Allen,

Your question is a common and I believe this is a great question and one that I will blog about for you and other parents, not to mention to “hammer home” to my Swim Lessons University teachers.   Secondly, I also want you to know that what I am about to recommend for Laura and all of our other wonderful young toddler swimmers, is the same route that I take for my own children.  My oldest, Jeb, now almost 7, did my Parent & Me curriculum until he was 3.  Nolan, now 23 months, will do the same.

Here’s a little background on toddlers and swimming progression and why the Parent & Me class is the right one for toddlers under 3 years of age:

#1  For safety reasons, I always want the parent with the toddler until they are 3 because they need that “hands on” supervision while they are learning to follow directions.   It is too risky for a 2 year old to be in even a semi private lesson without the parent because of the risk of them entering the water without the instructor seeing it.  One extended submersion could cause a toddler who was doing great to take major backward strides, not to mention the other risks.  This is also another reason we use the Power Swimmer flotation device with our 3’s and I recommend it for our 2’s.  However, unless the child has his/her balance in the water, they could still take in water even with the Power Swimmer or Type 3 Lifejacket (ski vest).

#2  From a progression standpoint, the skills Laura is developing in Parent and Me, i.e., front kicking, back kicking, breath control, breath holding, and swimming are the same skills we practice in Swim 101.   All of these skills will continue to improve with more classes and practice no matter which course she is enrolled.

For example, let’s touch on the skills we are teaching in Parent & Me:

  • Kicking on the Front: The kicking technique will continue to evolve and become more efficient with repetition no matter which course a toddler is enrolled (Parent & Me or Swim 101 (which we don’t do).
  • Back Kicking: You should be (with the guidance of your instructor) going thru our back kicking progression in Parent & me to the point that Laura can kick on her back without any assistance from you or the teacher.  To make this progression more achievable, I recommend coupling the SwimWays Power Swimmer and a Noodle at about age two, and then eventually going away from the noodle to where you are using the head and hip support, head support, and then no support at all.  This is taught in Parent  & Me the same way we teach it in Swim 101.
  • Breath Control: The dolphin dips (breath control exercise) teaches toddlers how to get their breath in a hurry and return to the inline position.  Some form of breath control exercise is not only practiced in Swim 101, but also Swim Strokes 201.   The only difference is at three years of age, the child is asked to put their face in the water by their own will, using their won decision making abilities, whereas we “assist” the toddler’s face in the water in Parent & Me unless they are resisting.  But here again, the end result is the same skill is being continuously refined throughout the “Parent & Me” learn to swim class.
  • Swimming: The swimming will improve as her kick improves coupled with her breath holding ability.  All this will occur in Parent and Me and just as it would improve in Swim 101.  Kick practice is kick practice.  The kick will become more refined over time thru manipulating the legs properly and simply more class time / practice time to refine the skill.

*The ONLY exception in terms of a “new skill” that we introduce in Swim 101 is the “Pop up Breath” or “Roll-over Breath.”  My experience is that from a motor development standpoint, most 2 year olds aren’t ready to do the pop-up breath.  If the toddler can kick on her/his back without assistance, then the roll-over breath is possible upon mastering back kicking.  I have had some older two year olds do the “pop-up” breath, but it is a skill that you have to pay close attention to because of the risk of the child breathing in water before their neck muscles, etc. are strong enough and their breath control skills are so well developed that they have the ability to get the breath in a hurry.

  • Safety Skills: At age two, my son Jeb could perform Safety Skill #2 without any assistance.  I remember one day spotting him and he jumped in and swam back to the wall at least a dozen times in a row without any assistance from me whatsoever.   This is a skill that we DO NOT practice in Swim 101 AND WE DO PRACTICE in PARENT AND ME because it is so appropriate for two year olds.   In Swim 101, we spend the additional practice time on learning the “pop-up breath” whereas the toddlers generally aren’t ready for that as I mentioned earlier.   I believe the toddlers are better served by working on the Safety Skills, which require less swimming and they can focus on learning how to swim themselves back to the side of the pool, which is why we do that in the Parent & Me curriculum.

Lastly, I want to just touch on the way we begin our Parent & Me classes.   We start it with some “one on one” time to get the infants and toddlers acclimated and then we do the group acclamation songs, etc.   I have found no matter how monotonous it may seem for us adults, the toddlers absolutely love that time and the socialization aspect of it is quite beneficial.

I hope that all my teachers and swim parents can see that I put a tremendous amount of thought, time, research, and regularly apply my countless experiences with Parent & Me classes into developing the Swim Lessons University curriculum which is what I feel is the best infant-toddler curriculum possible for my children and yours.

I hope my input and feedback will help you and all our current and future students.

SwimmingSafercerely!
Jim Reiser, M.S.
“The Swim Professor”

2010 Life Saver of the Year by National Drowning Prevention Alliance
2008 Adolph Kiefer Water Safety Person of the Year by USA Swimming
Water Safety Chairperson – Safe Kids Midlands
Local Partner – “Make a Splash” Initiative

Founder, President -Swim Lessons University
www.swimlessonsuniversity.com

Founder, CE0 – The Swim Lessons Company, LLC
www.swimlessonscompany.com

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June 9, 2010 at 2:15 pm Comments (0)

COMING SOON! Strategies for teaching Swimming Lessons to the “Terrible Two!”

I just got off the phone with my dentist, who called for some advice about her two year old’s swimming lessons.  She said, “Coach Jim, we just had our first lesson and it was awful!  Am I wasting my time?”

I put together a list of 5 Strategies and an analogy that will help make sense of it for you!  I am about to record it and make it a podcast You will be able to access it at Swim Lessons University by 6/11/2010 and I will announce it in my next newsletter (sign up free if you haven’t already).

Hope you enjoy it!

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June 7, 2010 at 6:37 pm Comments (0)

Have You Seen that the American Academy of Pediatrics UPDATED their Guidelines?

Pediatric Drowning Prevention Guidelines Updated

By Chris Emery, Contributing Writer, MedPage Today
Published: May 24, 2010
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner
Action Points  


  • Note that the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated guidelines to prevent childhood drowning.
  • Explain the risks involved with inflatable and portable pools to interested parents.

With summer around the corner, the American Academy of Pediatrics has released updated information and recommendations on water safety and drowning prevention for children.In a new policy statement and technical report published online May 24 in Pediatrics, an academy committee suggested a range of precautionary measures, including child-proofing of backyard pools, enrolling children in swimming lessons, and installation of devices to prevent children from becoming entrapped by pool and spa drains. The new guidelines were accompanied by a technical report that provided more detailed background information.

“The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has decided to revise this policy statement because of new information and research regarding the World Health Organization’s classification of drowning, drain-entrapment and hair-entanglement injuries, dangers of inflatable and portable pools, and the possible benefit of swimming lessons for young children,” Jeffrey Weiss, MD, and other members of the AAP committee wrote.

To read the rest of the article, go to Med Page Today.

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May 24, 2010 at 7:36 pm Comments (0)

Is Your Swim School Participating in the World’s Largest Swimming Lesson?

Tomorrow, Thursday, 5/20/10, is your last chance to register your swim school to participate in The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson.   What a great way to get your local media involved in promoting swimming lessons as one of the most important ways to prevent drownings.   Make no mistake about it, drowning prevention requires  layered approach . . . but you know as well as I do, swimmers are much less likely to drown than non-swimmers!
The Swim Lessons Company and our Swim Lessons University certified staff will be part of this awesome effort by WLSL.   WLSL has will provides you with fantastic materials and press releases, not to mention they will send your local market interviews with Rowdy Gaines and Janet Evans talking about the event to help you promote your efforts through your local TV News Media.
Don’t wait, enroll today!  Here’s a sample email blast that I sent my local swim lesson parents about the event.   Because schools are still in session, we are focusing on the younger children and will teach 26 children at 10:00AM (WLSL minimum is 25):
Dear SLC Families & Friends:
I would like to have 26 students (max. of 26 spots) join me and 8 of my instructors as we’re are going to be part of The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson™ Thursday, June 3rd at 10:00AM.   In a nutshell, The Swim Lessons Company (PAC Lexington location) will be one of over a hundred swim schools around the globe teaching a swim lesson simultaneously and attempting to set a new Guinness World Record!
As always, our classes will be strictly limited in size so your child will get a great class and may even be on TV.   I’m sure there will be national coverage on the event with Rowdy Gaines being the national spokesperson!   Locally, I already have WIS and ABC-25 interested in covering The Swim Lessons Company’s local contribution to the record.  The class is FREE but YOU MUST secure your child’s spot online at www.swimlessonscompany.com as all classes are strictly limited in size.
Here is how I tentatively have the course set up:
10:00AM – 10:15AM Jim will give an engaging Water Safety Presentation to all
children and families.  PLEASE arrive
by 9:40 AM!
10:15AM – 10:45AM The following schedule is online and you MUST register in advance, BUT THE CLASS IS FREE!   And again, please arrive by 9:40AM.
Section 1:   Parent & Me Small Group (Coach Jim Reiser and/or Coach Jody Langdon) –  6 spots
Section 2A: Swim 101 Trio (Coach Michelle Brown) – 3 spots
Section 2B: Swim 101 Trio (Coach Sara McCart) – 3 spots
Section 3A: Swim 101 Trio (Coach Drew Clark) – 3 spots
Section 3B: Swim 101 Trio (Coach Annie Flick) – 3 spots
Section 4:   Swim 102 (Coach Jason Jacobs &  Marin Peplinski) – 8 spots
* Coach Michelle Klaus  – floater

You can learn more out about the program at www.worldslargestswimminglesson.org
BUT you must register on ours at
www.swimlessonscompany.com
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May 19, 2010 at 6:32 pm Comment (1)

Breaking News! SLU Awards Bracelet & Water Safety System is available to YOU!

Get your students and parents hooked with the Swim Lessons University Bracelet System!   Instantly recognize and reward your students by punching out the star besidethe skill you just taught your pupil with our handy ¼” star puncher!

Parents and children will absolutely love the way you will reward them for their progress!  Not only will parents appreciate how you are teaching their child, but also there is even more to be excited about!  Here are just a few of the unique features:

  • It’s fast & immediate! The reward for progress is immediate, which leads to motivated students.
  • It’s motivational! Students are sure to give their best in order to earn more stars and eventually a new bracelet.
  • It’s convenient! You don’t have to get out of the pool to print card, stamp certificates, etc.  Simply punch out the star beside the abbreviated skill.
  • It’s a time-saver! No more long, tedious testing days.  You update progress bracelets as progress occurs!
  • It’s a lifesaver! The water safety component helps educate parents about how to protect their children.

Most importantly, the Swim Lessons University Awards Bracelets allows you to focus on doing what you love most—teaching children to swim and making them safer in and around the water.

For details on how it works, the safety component, what skills are abbreviated on each bracelet, and on HOW TO ORDER the Swim Lessons University Awards Bracelets for your students or swim school, visit Swim Lessons University today!

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April 21, 2010 at 7:02 pm Comments (0)

Will I see you at the National Drowning Prevention Symposium?

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!

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April 16, 2010 at 5:00 pm Comments (0)

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