Swim Lesson Class Levels

Assessments are conducted at the beginning of a session to help ensure proper placement in classes. These assessments are based on water skills appropriate for each level. If you have questions about proper placement for your child, please contact us.

Picking the Right Level
Our program is based on skill progression. A student must be able to consistently demonstrate prerequisite skills to enter a swimming class level. The skills at one level must be mastered with consistency before moving to the next level. It is common for children to spend more than one session at the same level to master skills.

• If you are unsure as to what class to place your child in, you may have them take a free level assessment. Please contact us to set up an assessment prior to registration.
• Students will be evaluated on the first day to ensure proper placement. We will transfer children to other skill levels if they are not correctly assigned only if space is available in the appropriate level and the child is currently registered in a class in THAT session.
• Children are unlikely to advance from one level to the next in a single eight-week class session. We recommend that they be registered in the same level each session unless you are advised otherwise by the child’s instructor.

Parent & Child Aquatics (6 months - 3 years)

Class Length: 30 minutes

Builds basic water safety skills for both parents and children, helping infants and young children ages 6 months to about 3 years become comfortable in the water so they are willing and ready to learn to swim. These basic skills include adjusting to the water and demonstrating breath control, including blowing bubbles or voluntarily submerging under water.

• Parent /Child Level 1 – Introduces basic skills to parents and children, including safety topics.
• Parent /Child Level 2 – Builds on the skills introduced in Level 1, with participants improving these skills and learning more advanced skills.

Preschool (4 - 5 yrs)

Gives young children about ages 4 and 5 a positive, developmentally appropriate aquatic learning experience that emphasizes water safety, survival and foundational swimming concepts. Skills are age-appropriate, helping participants achieve success on a regular basis while in a class environment with their peers.

• Preschool Level 1 – helps participants feel comfortable in the water and enjoy the water safely.
• Preschool Level 2 – Builds on the skills learned in Preschool Level 1 and gives participants success with fundamental skills, such as floating and basic locomotion.
• Preschool Level 3 – Builds on the skills in Preschool Level 2 and improves participants’ coordination of simultaneous arm and leg actions and alternating arm and leg actions.

Learn to Swim (6+ years)

Based on a logical, six level progression that helps swimmers about 6+ years old and adults develop their water safety, survival and swimming skills. It is designed to give participants a positive learning experience.

• Level 1 – Introduction to Water Skills Helps students feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Skills Include: Enter and exit the water; submerge mouth, nose, and eyes; blow bubbles; float on front and back; swim on front and back using arm and leg actions; use a life jacket; and more.
  
  Prerequisites: Comfortable in the water without assistance from a parent or guardian.
  
  
• Level 2 – Fundamental Aquatic Skills Gives participants success with fundamental skills. Skills Include: Enter shallow end from side; exit water safely using steps, ladder, and side; submerge entire head; retrieve a submerged object; float on front and back; front and back glides; roll over from front to back and back to front; tread water using arm and leg actions; move in the water wearing a life jacket; swim on front and back for 5 body lengths; and more.
  
  Prerequisites: Successfully demonstrate Level 1 exit skills.
  
  
• Level 3 – Stroke Development Builds on skills in Level 2 through additional guided practice in deeper water. Skills Include: Jump into deep water from the side; dive from the side of the pool from sitting or kneeling position; bob to safety; rotary breathing; tread water, survival float, and back float for 30 seconds each; swim a width on front, back, and side; reaching assists; and more.
  
  Prerequisites: Successfully demonstrate Level 2 exit skills.
  
  
• Level 4 – Stroke Improvement Develops confidence in the skills learned and improves other aquatic skills. Skills Include: Dive from the side of the pool from compact and stride positions; swim under water for 3-5 body lengths; feet-first surface dive; open turns at the wall; survival swimming for 30 seconds; tread water for 2 minutes; reaching and throwing assists; and more.
  
  Swimming Requirements: Front crawl and elementary backstroke 25 yards; back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, and sidestroke 15 yards.
  
  Prerequisites: Successfully demonstrate Level 3 exit skills.
  
  
• Level 5 – Stroke Refinement Provides further coordination and refinement of strokes. Skills Include: Standing and shallow-angle dive from the side of the pool; head-first surface dives; flip turns; sculling; tread water for 5 minutes; perform rescue breathing (on a manikin); and more.
  
  Swimming Requirements: Front crawl and elementary backstroke 50 yards; back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, and sidestroke 25 yards.
  
  Prerequisites: Successfully demonstrate Level 4 exit skills.
  
  
• Level 6 – Swimming and Skill Proficiency Refines the strokes so participants swim them with ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. Level 6 will include Fitness and Personal Water Safety Skills Include: HELP & Huddle for 2 minutes each; surface dives; back float and survival float for 5 minutes each, survival swimming for 10 minutes; tread water (kicking only); turns; and more.
  Swimming Requirements: Front crawl and elementary backstroke 100 yards; back crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, and butterfly 50 yards. Exit skill includes a 500 yard swim.
  Prerequisites: Successfully demonstrate Level 5 exit skills.