Expectations for lessons

Every lesson, for every child, is individualized one-on-one instruction.  We do not have "group" lessons, because we believe your child should have our individualized attention. We customize their lessons, especially for them, to ensure the safest, most efficient lessons. We want each child to experience success and use positive reinforcement to recognize each accomplishment, no matter how small. The parent, or caregiver, watches the lessons poolside. Students attend short lessons (10 minutes maximum Monday through Thursday, 4 lessons per week)
    
We typically start teaching children when they begin crawling and can sit unassisted, the youngest we can start is 6 months. For this age group, we teach survival floating - that is, rotating from a face-down position in the water to a survival float. 

 For children who are walking independently (generally around 14 + months of age), we teach the swim-float-swim sequence - that is, swimming in a face down position, using their arms and legs (this is similar to a crawl stroke); rolling onto the back to the same survival float; and then flipping back over to continue swimming. Lessons run on AVERAGE 6 weeks. The number of weeks often depends on the child's abilities since our lessons are child-paced. Please remember every child is different. We want your child to be competent in each skill presented. I do teach special needs children as well and their lessons may take longer or some actually are shorter! The program is tailored to each individual child's pace.

If you are a boating family, I would love to test your child in his or her life jacket as well and make sure it fits properly and will help your child be safe.

FAQs
Will my child fear the water because of lessons?
There is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because you are not yet skilled in a new environment. ISR is not like traditional swim lessons; it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming. Sometimes as a parent, you make choices for your child’s safety, like sitting in a car seat, because you know they are important. The same can be said for ISR. Fun can be defined as when skill meets challenge. Once competent in their skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having entirely too much FUN.
How do the kids react during the first few lessons?
Children often fuss during the first few lessons because they are in a new environment and around new people. As your child becomes more confident in his/her ability in the water, the fussing will decrease. It is not unlike the first time you tried a new exercise class or were asked to perform a task at work that you’d never done before: the first time you try a new task it is always challenging, until you get the hang of it. It is the same for your young child. Your child is learning to perform a skill that he/she’s never done before.
Do you have children that just can’t learn the skills?
No. Every child can learn. It is my job to find the best way to communicate the information so that it makes sense to the child. I set your child up to be successful every time you bring them to me. I start where they are and through consistent lessons, we see progress.
Why don’t parents participate in the water during the lessons?
We do not want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention, and affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic emergency and our experience shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water. We gladly invite parents to join us in the pool once their child has independent skills to practice at home.
Download ISR's Family Aquatic Safety List to help protect your family from the hazards of an aquatic environment

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