I'm a swimming teacher

[Starlitestarbright]

Hi feel free to ask me any questions. I teach learn to swim 3 upwards and school swimming.

smalbert no they are regularly jet washed.

soupmaker I missed your comment about your dds breaststroke is she turning her heels out and catching the water? Is she gliding and doing the correct arm pull?

Our daughter (just 4) had two terms of formal swimming lessons but she ending up finding the structure boring and we were only in the pool for 30 minutes.

She never wore bands/flots but does use a noodle when out of depth.

Happy with face under, pushing off the side, kicking and front crawl arms until she needs to stand. But once she's out of depth I can't get her to stay above water, so cannot progress with swimming more than when her breath runs out as she then has to stand.

How do you suggest increasing her ability to tread water, swim and take a breath and carry on?

My daughter has been in stage 1 for over 18 months and still can't swim and isn't ready to move up. Is this unusual? Her big sister seems to go up a stage every 4-6 months.

I wouldn't teach her to tread water at that age but to blow bubbles get her aquatic breathing right first and work on her leg kick. This can be fun by making the woggle into a steering wheel get her to hold the handle bars and kick across. She needs to learn when she lifts her head up she needs to keep kicking and put her face back in.

CloseEncountersOfTheTurdKind Can be often its a child's willingness to put their face in the water and blow bubbles or kick on their back with a float. In stage 1 they need to be able to push glide so they can get themselves buoyant in the water. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to to learn to use their arms.

@Starlitestarbright thank you!

She's more than willing to put her face under water, she spends half the lesson completely under water! I think it's probably the kicking on her back without a float that's holding her back then, she doesn't do that yet.

I have just taken up swimming again after many years out of the pool and am really enjoying. Breast stroke becuse I have a muscle injury in my right upper arm and struggle to do front crawl at the moment.
However, that is not the issue.
I seem to suffer from chlorine sensitivity now, with sneezing and runny nose post swim which can go on for hours and is realyy unpleasant. I have resorted to nasal spray and sticking vaseling up my nose pre-swim.
The pool is part of my gym so cant really change to a different pool as i am already paying membership.
Apparently lots of pools are over dosed now due to covid...is this true?
Any advice for me please ?

CloseEncountersOfTheTurdKind is she kicking on her front with her face in? Ideally she needs to be able to hold one float and kick across

astarsheis when I swim I tend to sneeze alot aswell. There's not alot you can do as the pools use chlorine in their water.

We’ve just started taking our 3.5 year old swimming. He’s familiar with the water now but I genuinely can’t swim, so I can’t teach him. His dad is a good swimmer and wants to teach him, do you have any advice for where we should start? Should we get private lessons? I have no idea!

I'm by no means an expert, I have had 2 swim teachers say my 3 and half year old is an exceptional swimmer (can swim 10m unaided on aquatic breathing on front and back (legs only on back), dives down 1m and gets sticks from floor and seems to love the water, jumps in deep pool and will swim to steps. We go swimming for fun quite a lot on top of her once weekly swimming lesson, what could I be working on when I take her myself? I try and keep everything fun, just interested in some new ideas to try

Do you get many swimmers with disabilities learning?

Do you really push the inclusion of those with disabilities or all levels and ages?

Do you feel the Cpd for swimming teachers for catering with young swimmers with disabilities allows you to feel confident in teaching them?

Mammma91 get him to get a woggle hold it in a u shape and get her to put her chin on the water and stretch her legs and kick. Your dh can practice floating with her. It's a choice if you want to put her in lessons.

Onyuk I'd just keep what you doing tbh at that age she is only small and should just be about enjoying the water nothing too informal.if she's already in lessons.

Thanks. Just wondered if you have any fun games to play? I wasn't planning anything serious (I did competitive gymnastics and wouldn't push anything on my little ones)

itsgettingweird

I teach two children who are deaf in group lessons. I teach with my hands and I make sure there can see me and read my lips. I also have flash cards so they can see what I want them to do. I also teach several children who have ASD. My own ds is getting assessed at the moment and it is difficult. Where possible we try to be inclusive..However sometimes its recognising if a child feels overwhelmed and not settling then they might need 121 support and not group lessons or a smaller class. I'm on a cpd for autism at the end of the month.

itsgettingweird At my previous work I used to teach one to one's for children who had cerebral palsy. You have to adapt your teaching to meet their needs and work of their strengths. Before I had one boy who I taught and the mum couldn't believe the progression after one lesson that he never experienced with a previous teacher.

What about children with physical disabilities or visual impairments?

These are much harder to support under the SE framework as there is no differentiation ime and someone with a visual impairment can't watch and see how to do it. These are the groups that tend to be under represented in learn to swim IME.

X posts!

It would be great if there was an option for swimmers with disabilities to join in group lessons supported by assistants rather than always needing 1:1 sessions which are expensive.

Those swimmers will train and compete within the able bodied programme if they join clubs once through the learn to swim framework.

itsgettingweird
Unfortunately we don't have enough swimming teachers, there's a national shortage, teaching assistants are very few and far between to offer support in the water for group lessons for physical disabilities. We are lacking in terms of being more diverse in that way however it all comes down to money and paying out for two members of staff rather than 1. Parents who are claiming DLA for their dc can claim funding to access funding for activities such as 121 swimming lessons.

Both my kids started swimming lessons aged 4 months and love them, are happy and confident going underwater, jumping in, having their faces splashed etc. at what age, ballpark, might they swim independently, having started aged 4 months? Obviously all different but what would be the age range roughly? Thanks

Maternityleavelady

3/4 years old if they done water babies. Typical average age for swimming frontcrawl is approx 5 years old Id say based on the average age of the kids I teach.

Hi, thanks for replying. The pool is 110cm - 120cm. She's 121cm which seems to be right in the middle of the range for her age. Unfortunately that means in her mouth is underwater in 110cm depth.

Is being out of their depth is better for their learning? I'm really grateful for your advice as I think I'm probably worrying unnecessary.

Yes, she is fine on her front, but hates being on her back.