Beginning Swim Classes Too Advanced for Many Beginners; Swim Instructor Confere...( Beginning swim classes teach skills t...),Health

Beginning swim classes teach skills too advanced for many swim students to be successful; a conference will train teachers in how to teach in order that all can learn to swim

SARASOTA, Fla., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- This summer thousands of children and a few adults will enroll in Beginning Swimming lessons across the nation. Many will learn easily and will progress to the next level. Many will make little or no progress.

Those who make little or no progress will do so because they're at ground zero with swim skills and they need to learn the first steps of swimming before they're presented with more advanced skills. They need to learn how to keep water out of their nose; how the water holds them up; when (if ever) water does not hold them up; what happens when water gets into ones eyes and ears, mouth and nose; how to hold one's breath; how long a breath lasts; how to stand up from a float; how to know they don't need another breath yet; which way is up; how to remain in control; the nuts and bolts of panic; how the water works; how to maneuver at will in the water; the similarities between shallow water and deep water; and finally, how to stay afloat in deep water until help arrives. They're not ready yet to learn bubble-blowing, flutter kick, and arm strokes.

Traditional lessons, though they teach classes called Beginning Swimming, teach more advanced skills. Their curricula do not include many of these basics. This is fine for many students since they can learn most of these things without specifically being taught. However, currently a large percentage of Beginning Swimming students don't "pass" Beginning Swimming. They need the more basic skills.

If all students who take Beginning Swimming lessons could be met at their level, all students could learn to swim: to be reliable in deep water. Once students are reliable in deep water, they are no longer focused on survival and therefore cou
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