Swimming looks easy, but takes an immense amount of coordination that is sometimes underestimated. Swimming involves mastering every single muscle in the body in order to move smoothly, efficiently, and safely through the water. That’s a lot to ask of a young student who may still be growing!
Every child learns differently. Some respond well to silly, imaginative lessons, and others need more structured classes to help them focus on the skills at hand. Building on your child’s strengths and customizing lessons to their learning styles helps students develop skills while having fun.
Here are a few tips to help your student master swimming quickly:
- Come to lessons consistently. It’s easy for a child to forget skills over the course of one week. Missing additional lessons per month can lead to regression, which is hard to overcome.
- Review the skills needed to master a level. Bear Paddle provides Patch Rewards for every skill mastered in a level. Collecting these Patch Rewards can motivate students, but in order to earn a skill, Deck Managers look for several lessons of successful completion. Missing a lesson can stall progress.
- Add a second swim per week, or enroll in Swim Camps. These extra lessons can push a student to the next level by building muscle memory and coordination. Can’t commit to a send swim every week? Use Drop In Lessons to schedule additional classes as your schedule allows!
- Review skills at home. Level 1 and 2 require mastery of skills that can be practiced in a bathtub or kiddie pool. Blowing bubbles, pouring water over the ears, and floating on the back at home can help kids feel more comfortable performing a skill at swim lessons.
- Try out a new coach. Sometimes a new teaching style can help a student understand a skill that was previously difficult for them!
- Talk with the Deck Manager. Deck Managers have detailed, individualized feedback for every student, and can give homework, advice, and follow-up for students who may be having a hard time with certain skills.
Ultimately, your students’ progression depends on their learning style, how frequently they swim, and their coordination. If you have any concerns about your students’ progress, or to schedule additional swims to boost progress, stop by the front desk for scheduling help and updates!