What Level should I sign my child up for?

 

 

American Red Cross Swim Lesson Levels 

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     ● LOOK At Me Go,  Preschool Aquatics   

                  Preschool ages 4-5  

                  Introduces basic aquatic skills, which participants continue to build on as they progress through each swim

                  level

 

**If your child has passed Look at Me Go, they may enter in Level 2, Learn-to-Swim                                            (this is the only age exception made at sign up)**

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● LEVEL 1, Learn-to-Swim  

Elementary School age 6 and up

 Introduces basic aquatic skills, which participants continue to build on as they progress through each swim level. In addition, participants start developing positive attitudes, effective swimming habits, and safe practices in and around the water. Skills are expected to be performed with minimal assistance or independently. 

             ● LEVEL 2, Learn-to-Swim

Participants will learn fundamental skills. They will learn to float and glide with no support and recover to a vertical position. Participants will develop alternating arms and leg action on the front and back, laying the foundation for future strokes. New water safety topics are introduced, and previously acquired water safety knowledge and skills are reinforced. 

 

***The jump from level 2 to level 3 is intense, fast paced and there are lots of new skills to learn! Please make sure your child has the skills from level 2 mastered prior to moving to level 3.  If your child has passed level 2, but you only take lessons once a year you may want to repeat level 2 as a refresher.*** 

 

             ● LEVEL 3, Learn-to-Swim

Participants learn to practice survival floating and learn to swim front and elementary backstroke. They will also be introduced to the scissors kick and dolphin kick. Participants will learn the rules for headfirst entries and begin to learn to enter the water headfirst from a seated position, in deep water from the poolside. As in all levels, new and previously addressed water safety topics are included. Participants who successfully complete level 3 will have achieve basic water competence in a pool environment 

 

● LEVEL 4, Learn-to-Swim 

Participants will improve their aquatic skills and increase their endurance by swimming the strokes learned in level 3 with greater distance and with more proficiency. Participants will learn breaststroke, kick, sidestroke, backcrawl, and butterfly, as well as the basics of performing a simple open turn at the wall. 

 

● LEVEL 5, Learn-to-Swim                                                                                                                                                                                           

        Stroke Refinement: Guidance allows kids to refine their strokes and become more efficient swimmers

 

Reminder!!

Children only retain skills learned if they continually practice them in the water.  Learning to swim is difficult and time consuming. Many children have difficulty with body awareness on land, and once they’re in the water it's a whole different feeling of body/spatial awareness. Please be patient with your child as they learn to swim! 

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