I find myself watching our little ones at swim class, week after week, and it looks like they’re doing the same thing without really learning anything. I gets a tad frustrated and makes me start to rethink this whole swimming lessons thing, since they’re not making progress…and it’s expensive. Let’s set the record straight: I believe they’re learning the building blocks of swimming and increasing their strength, skill and stamina, little by little.
If you have kids, you know they tend to do the same things over and over again — especially when learning. First it’s drawing a straight line repeatedly; then a curved line; and then — magically — they’re writing definite letters. But actually, there’s nothing magical about it. They worked hard at mastering the little skills that all need to melt into place to write letters; things like holding a pencil and focusing on the task at hand. The exact same concept is seen when a kid is learning how to swim (or any other skill)!
I mean, I wouldn’t expect my kids to be writing full sentences on the second or third week of preschool, right? It takes a lot of work to master a new skill, whether it is writing, swimming or tying a shoelace.
With all of that said…I am intrigued with ISR swimming lessons I keep hearing about.
ISR…What is it?
ISR stands for Infant Swimming Resource and is a new technique for teaching kids to swim. What is so important about you ask? Welp…you basically throw your infant/toddler/child into the water (sometimes fully clothed) with a one-on-one instructor nearby and they teach your child the fundamentals of swimming to survive a fall into a pool or a drift into the ocean far from Mommy and Daddy. This technique has got my attention and should get the attention of others if you have a pool in your backyard or go to the pool or ocean often.
What Your Child Will Learn In ISR Lessons
ISR’s unique results are achieved through fully customized, safe and effective, one-on-one lessons with only your child and the Instructor in the water. What your child will learn, and the way he or she will learn it, is what makes ISR so different from traditional swimming lessons. Always putting safety first, ISR emphasizes competence, which leads to confidence, and provides the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment in and around the water.
What your child will learn depends on his or her age and developmental readiness, but in all cases, at minimum, your child will learn to roll onto his or her back to float, rest, and breathe, and to maintain this position until help arrives.
Children 6-12 Months Old
Generally speaking, children ages 6 months to 1 year learn the ISR Self-Rescue® skill of rolling onto their backs to float, rest and breathe. They learn to maintain this position until help arrives.
Children 1-6 Years Old
Older, more mobile children will learn the full ISR Self-Rescue® sequence of swimming until they need air, rotating onto the back to float, then rolling back over to continue swimming. ISR students are taught to repeat this sequence until they reach the safety of the steps, side of the pool, or the shoreline.
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