Swimming lessons

[gilmoregirl]

DS has just been given a level two certificate for swimming.

It says that he can do things like enter and exit the pool safely and Bob up and down and blow bubbles through nose and mouth.

The thing is, DS is 9.5 and has been going to these lessons every week since he was two months old. As well as week long intensive lessons in the school holidays and a couple of terms of lessons at school.

He can swim a length of the pool and I had rather expected him to be learning strokes and actually swimming.

I actually emailed the teacher last week to ask about his progress. She has not replied but as he was the only child to get a certificate today would seem an attempt to demonstrate progress but he could do all the things listed several years ago. He has recently been diagnosed with DCD and I have mentioned this to the teacher and asked how best to help him progress but she did not seem to think the DCD was an issue.

Aibu to expect some reasonable progress after over nine years of lessons at a cost of God knows what....

And you are paying for these lessons, don't be afraid to talk to the teacher about your child's progress and ask what they need to work on.

Thanks everyone.

I take him swimming at least once a week and I have encouraged him to show me the things he has learned at the lessons.

It was with me that he has swum lengths as they do widths during the lessons.

I have queried his progress several times and was always fobbed off - as wyamac said earlier I think it sometimes comes down to how pushy you are as to whether your child moves up!

It is Scottish swimming which appears to be different to the ASA. he is in a class called beginners 2 which he has remained in for several years now despite my asking about his progress. The other children are five or six.

I observe the lessons and they are swimming widths, practicing strokes and diving. It is quite hard to see exactly what is going on as it is at the far end of the pool and it is very busy..

The full details of the award he got:

"Understanding of basic pool rules.

Pick up objects from the bottom of the pool in shallow water.

Enter and exit pool safely without assistance.

Using a board/aid, float on back unassisted.

Bob up and down repeatedly, submerging body and blow bubbles through nose and mouth.

Roll 180 degrees from front to back then regain feet.

Kick on front with aid unassisted.

Kick on back with aid unassisted.
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To pass level 2 swimmers must achieve all of the above skills.
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Children should be a minimum of 5 years.
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Entry to level 2 is possible where a swimmer has been assessed following completion of the Adult & Child Swimming Programme and has the ability to bypass level 1.
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Support and assistance may be required by a teacher in the water.
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Use of armbands and other personal floatation aids should be discouraged."

This sums up stuff he could do easily at age four or five after the adult and child lessons and being taken swimming regularly!

There is NO MENTION of actual swimming strokes!

I have sent the swimming teacher another email today as she has not replied to the one I sent last Friday. This one was more strongly worded..... She is the swim programme co-ordinator who I have approached before several times.

We go to the pool four times a week so I am bound to bump into her sooner or later.

I am just so disappointed and very frustrated that I have been paying for more and more lessons and have been told he would progress but it has just not happened.

I would move him. Check out your local gyms and other leisure centres. Maybe go and watch or ask around to see where other parents send their kids.

If you can, maybe have to 1:1's before you start new lessons to have him properly assessed to see what level he's at.

I know at our swimming lessons, they're very much focused on technique as it feeds into a very good club. I know many people who have got frustrated by the their children getting 'stuck' at a certain level because they can't do a roly poly, or their breastroke legs aren't good enough.

There is a leisure centre in a neighbouring town that focuses on stamina rather than technique and those kids have done well there as they move up based on distance badges as opposed to levels.

I have taken both my kids out of lessons for about a year each (at different times) to get over a particular hurdle and to have a break. But, because I was a swimmer myself and see this as a valuable life skill, have insisted they go back, which they've done.

I'd move him. DS went to lessons at a private gym when we lived at our old house and made very little progress, despite being able to all of the required things easily when we took him as a family.

Moved house and got a space at the local leisure centre, who assessed him as being three stages higher! He's much happier now, and actually swimming. I suspect it was either an effort to keep him coming for longer.

oops... or having crazily high standards for each bit.

I'm very surprised at this. My DCs only started lessons in September and DS who is nearly 8 is on Level 3 having only done splashing around in the pool with me before. Our lessons are at our local leisure centre and it's incredibly well organised. The instructors have Ipods in the water with them and record what each child is doing as they do it. You can then log on at home and see their progress on all the elements of the levels.

Is he a much better standard than the children he is grouped with?

TBH, we start our four year olds off in the Scottish Swimming Level 2, it is very basic and is mostly about water confidence. Level 3 is where strokes start to be introduced.

Unless there is a very good reason why he hasn't progressed (you should have a discussion with the lesson co-ordinator to discuss progress) then I would look at alternatives - he may really benefit from one-to-one lessons if you can (a) find them and (b) afford it.

thanks everyone.

the lessons are at the local leisure centre which is round the corner from us and so is very handy.

That is interesting squirrelled as it looks very much like water confidence skills aimed at very young children rather than an award for a child who can swim and is working on strokes.

I have just set up a trial lesson with another swimming lesson provider - makingwaves - which teaches at a local school.

I asked if they could assess him before I paid for the block of lessons so I have just paid for one trial lesson. It is much more expensive than the leisure centre lessons but will be worth it if he actually learns strokes.

It is hard for me to say if he is better than the other children in the lesson. They are all swimming widths of the pool, some faster than others but from where I am it is hard to see their technique as I am so far away.

I finally got an acknowledgement to my email telling me she was really busy to which I replied that she should treat my email as a complaint as I am really fed up now :(

SOunds good. Hopefully he'll progress with the new lessons.

Surely the DCD would be a reason for his slow progression? My son has DCD and learning any new skill takes ages for him!

deeee - yes I would expect that he would learn more slowly due to the DCD and have taken that into consideration. However, he is basically about five years behind despite weekly lessons and regular swimming.

I don't expect him to be an amazing swimmer just to make progress and be able to swim.