Swim Level Stage descriptions

SWIM STARTERS - Develops water enrichment and aquatic readiness in children.

Recommended Age Range: Infants & Toddlers (6 mos. – 3 yrs.)

In the two stages that make up this parent-child category, children learn to be comfortable in the water. Rather than teaching children how to survive in the water or become accomplished swimmers, Swim Starters focuses on developing swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences. Parents also learn essential skills in Swim Starters. Close supervision is the best way to prevent drowning. Parents learn how to supervise children in the water, how to prevent accidents, and how to plan for emergencies.

STAGE A: WATER DISCOVERY

Parents accompany children in this stage, which introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploration and encourages them to enjoy themselves while learning about the water. The goals of this stage include the following:

• Encouraging parents to set developmentally appropriate expectations for infants and toddlers enrolled in swim lessons
• Introducing and emphasizing basic water safety to parents and providing a positive family aquatic experience
• Building relationships among and between parents and children by providing opportunities for fun and interaction in the water

Water Discovery Skills:

• Breath Control: Blow Bubbles
• Swim on Front: Front Tow, Front Float
• Swim on Back: Back Float, Back Tow
• Water Safety: Roll, Wall Grab
• Benchmark: Water Exit, Water Entry

STAGE B: WATER EXPLORATION

In this stage, parents work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills. The goals of this stage include the following:

• Encouraging children to move purposefully in the water in response to visual and verbal cues and using toys and flotation devices
• Emphasizing basic aquatic safety to parents
• Building relationships among and between parents and children by providing opportunities for fun and interaction in the water

Water Exploration Skills:

• Breath Control: Blow Bubbles
• Swim on Front: Front Tow, Front Float
• Swim on Back: Back Float, Back Tow
• Water Safety: Roll, Monkey Crawl
• Benchmark: Water Exit, Water Entry

SWIM BASICS - Develops personal water safety and basic swimming skills in students of all ages.

Recommended Age Ranges: Preschool Youth (3–5 yrs.) & School-Age Youth (5–12 yrs.)

In these three stages, students develop a high level of comfort in the water by practicing safe water habits, engaging in underwater exploration, and learning how to swim to safety and exit if they fall into a body of water. Group activities that reinforce learning help students progress. By the end of this series of stages, students achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills:

• Swim, float, swim—sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit
• Jump, push, turn, grab

STAGE 1: WATER ACCLIMATION

Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming. Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Exploring the aquatic environment and personal skills with instructor help
• Developing basic skills to propel and glide through the water with instructor help
• Learning basic aquatic safety and accepting some of the responsibility for safe practices

Water Acclimation Skills:

• Breath Control: Submerge
• Swim on Front: Front Glide, Front Float
• Swim on Back: Back Float, Back Glide
• Water Safety: Water Exit, Roll
• Benchmark: Jump, Push, Turn, Grab Swim, Swim, Float

STAGE 2: WATER MOVEMENT

In this stage, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Exploring the aquatic environment and personal skills without instructor help
• Developing basic skills to propel and glide through the water without instructor help
• Learning basic aquatic and boating safety and accepting some of the responsibility for safe practices

Water Movement Skills:

• Breath Control: Submerge
• Swim on Front: Front Glide, Front Float
• Swim on Back: Back Float, Back Glide
• Water Safety: Water Exit, Roll, Tread Water
• Benchmark: Jump, Push, Turn, Grab Swim, Swim, Float

STAGE 3: WATER STAMINA

In this stage, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action. Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Integrating arm action, leg action, and rhythmic breathing in back and front glides
• Developing forward movement on the front and back
• Practicing skills and safety techniques in deep water

Water Stamina Skills:

• Breath Control: Submerge
• Swim on Front: Swim on Front
• Swim on Back: Swim on Back
• Water Safety: Water Exit, Roll, Tread Water
• Benchmark: Jump, Swim, Turn, Grab Swim, Swim, Float

SWIM STROKES - Introduces and refines stroke technique in older students.

Recommended Age Ranges: School-Age Youth (5–12 yrs.)

In these three stages, having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.

STAGE 4: STROKE INTRODUCTION

Students in this stage develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke. Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Developing the front crawl and back crawl
• Introducing components of the breaststroke and butterfly
• Practicing safety techniques in deep water

Stroke Introduction Skills:

• Swim on Front: Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly
• Swim on Back: Back Crawl
• Water Safety: Dive, Resting Stroke, Elementary Backstroke, Tread Water
• Benchmark: Endurance

STAGE 5: STROKE DEVELOPMENT

Students in this stage work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke. Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Developing stamina in the front crawl and back crawl
• Developing the breaststroke and butterfly
• Building endurance techniques for deep water safety

Stroke Development Skills:

• Swim on Front: Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly
• Swim on Back: Back Crawl
• Water Safety: Dive, Resting Stroke, Sidestroke, Tread Water
• Benchmark: Endurance

STAGE 6: STROKE MECHANICS

In this stage, students refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle. Students in this stage focus on the following:

• Developing endurance in the competitive strokes
• Developing skills related to competitive swimming like flip turns
• Enhancing skills and building endurance in deep water

Stroke Mechanics Skills:

• Swim on Front: Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Butterfly
• Swim on Back: Back Crawl
• Water Safety: Dive, Resting Stroke, Elementary Backstroke or Sidestroke, Tread Water
• Benchmark: Endurance