School swim classes v's Regular swim classes

Around this time of year most schools will have swim lessons as part of their curriculum. At Aquatots we commend school swim programs as every child should have the right to learn this life saving skill. The more chances we can expose children to an aquatic environment and give them access to lessons the safer our children will be.

We do feel it is important that parents understand what school swim classes are about as sometimes parents feel they should choose between regular classes and school classes.

School swim programs will see large numbers of children in the one class. At Aquatots the maximum of Kindy classes is 6 kids to one instructor and the other years have 8 kids per one instructor. Aquatots school classes are considered small compared to many other school swim programs.

Children in the school programs will have the chance to practice their swimming which is great but most of the time they will not get the individual attention to detail they would have in their regular swim class. A quicker progression is usually due to physical corrections made by instructors to help imprint muscle memory. In the larger groups it is hard to make the focus o individual technique.

Attending school swim classes is extremely exciting for children as they are out of school, they are with their friends and there are no parents to watch their class. In some instances children will be busy having fun with their friends instead of really focusing on what is required from them.

Most schools want to do their swim program in a two week block. This usually means children will get a different instructor each day. This method also takes it toll on kids and school teachers as it is exhausting for them. Two weeks done in one block can see some progression but by the time the children settle the program is over. The skills learnt do not retain once they have finished unless there is continuation of practice. Programs that run once a week over the 10 weeks of the term will see more consistent instructors to the classes and the children have a chance o settle into a routine making the learning process easier for them.

Children attending both regular swim classes and schools programs will see a quicker progression as practice time is bumped up per week. More water time and more lessons per week will equal a fast progression for your child. Keeping your child in their regular classes will also mean that your child retains their position in the program for when they are ready to return to regular classes.