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Should I ask? re: swim lessons


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My daughter (5.5) has been in 3 sessions of swim lessons. Each session is 2 weeks long, 4x a week for 30 mins. Eash session she has improved quite a bit. She is in Level 2 which basically requires learning front/back float, front/back glide, and front/back stroke with a few other things.

 

Today was the end of the session and I asked her teachers how she was doing (after glancing at her final report) and they said she should be good to move up with a little more work on her back stroke.

 

My concern... One, she says she is bored in that class. The reason she gave me fits in with my concerns. There is so much focus on the basics (as there should) that they were not even able to work on the back stroke this session. the first week, 1/3 to 1/2 of the lesson is spent on the deck learing safety and practicing the position for the front and back float. Emma says she knows how to do these good and that it is boring. The second week, it is not as bad but they do spend 5-10 mins on the deck still.

 

If they get to the front/back stroke, it is not until the last couple days of the session. I am wondering if it would not be better to see if she can move up and get more help on what she is able to do. I have watched the next level up and there are kids there that seem to be at the same skill level she is. I do not think she will be above her head.

 

Is it fair to ask to move her up, especially since there is no guarentee that in her current level they will even get to the skill she needs work on? I plan on taking her to the pool a couple times this weekend to really work on the backstroke. If it makes a difference, this will be the last session of swim classes, and I just realized that she will miss 2 of the last classes due to a time conflict.

 

What is the best way to do it? I do not want to seem like a pushy parent but at the same time I do not feel like she is getting the help she needs for where she is at.

 

Thanks :)

Anne

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I'm laughing at your post title because I think you know what we will say: Back away and let the instructors shepherd your child along at the pace they believe she should follow. If your daughter wants to practice backstroke on her own, great! Let her play with it. But don't go to the pool to "work on it" over several sessions this weekend.

 

I don't think there's a developmental reason to push backstroke. She's only little once. Let her play.

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When does the next session start? Could you get her a private lesson or two before then to work just on her back stroke? Would they move her up to the next class (in the middle of the session) once she gets the back stroke?

 

Technicaly yes they will move kids up if they are ready. However, this session they did not even make it to the back stroke. I am guessing because most of the kids were not ready. The next session starts on Monday (only reason I was mentioning taking her to the pool this weekend). I feel the only reason she has not progressed to where they would like is that she has not had the time in lessons to practice.

 

I do not think this is because I really want to push her. I just look at the amount of time each class is in the water actually working on things and it seems like she would enjoy the next class since would be developing what she knows and in the water more. If that makes sense.

 

I would honestly be happy if they would divide the kids who were at a higher level 2 up and allow them to work on what they need to work on but I do not know if that is possible.

 

Anne

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I'm laughing at your post title because I think you know what we will say: Back away and let the instructors shepherd your child along at the pace they believe she should follow. If your daughter wants to practice backstroke on her own, great! Let her play with it. But don't go to the pool to "work on it" over several sessions this weekend.

 

I don't think there's a developmental reason to push backstroke. She's only little once. Let her play.

I think it's fine if you want to take her to the pool to get more practice. After all, if you had a pool at home you'd probably practice right? Is this at the Y? I don't know if Ys in different regions operate differently, but I noticed that there are swim classes for 3-5 yr olds, and then swim classes for 6+, and if a child hasn't progressed beyond a certain level by the time they reach the age of 6, they'd go into a beginner class for the 6+ crowd. My dd5 might be one of those. We just had both dc in Pike I (beginner 3-5 yr olds), and it was 4x a week for 30 min for 2 weeks. Today was our last day for this session. Neither of them are ready to move up to Pike II, so they're both going to do Pike I again. After that, if dd5 still isn't ready for Pike II, then I'll wait until she turns 6 and put her in the beginner class for that age group.

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How many kids are in the class? We found our son made the most progress whenthe classes had 4 or fewer kids on about the same level.

 

Average we have had 20 kids per session, split into two groups. Each group will have 2 teachers. Each group does it own thing but the group of 10 kids/2 teachers moves at the same pace.

 

I was not thinking of drilling her with the backstroke this weekend, just giving her a chance to practice more than anything. Whenever she has had classes, whether swimming or hockey, whenever we hit the pool or ice (unless we went with friends) she would run through a couple things just to refresh.

 

I don't know how to quote two different people but this is just at the local pool. Lessons are over after next session since school will be starting school and the teachers/lifeguards are high schoolers. We do not have a Y, just a couple local pools.

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It's hard to say without seeing her on her back.

 

I have a swimmer ( 9yo. beginning swim team) who can do backstroke but is so uncomfortable on her back that she will not. She could have used another session or two floating on her back and front, and getting comfortable in the water, even though she technically can do it. It is holding her up now.

 

OTOH, if your dd is totally comfortable on her back in the water (will she push off on her back, lay back in the water without trying to sit up, do backstroke while "playing," put her face in the water, not panic when water splashes in her face while on her back?) and was held up entirely because the rest of the group wasn't ready to move on, it might be worth trying level III. (I would actually watch her do these things, not ask her if she can. Her idea of "comfortable on her back" might not be the same as mine.)

 

If they are not willing to move her up, check out private lessons. At the very least, she wouldn't be bored waiting for her turn. And you could request that they spend the time actually in the water.

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I'm laughing at your post title because I think you know what we will say: Back away and let the instructors shepherd your child along at the pace they believe she should follow. If your daughter wants to practice backstroke on her own, great! Let her play with it. But don't go to the pool to "work on it" over several sessions this weekend.

 

I don't think there's a developmental reason to push backstroke. She's only little once. Let her play.

 

Huh, I think it's a great idea to go to the pool and practice. Play a little, practice the stroke, play some more. This is exactly what I did with my DD. Actually, she took the red cross lessons which is what I think you are talking about and I was in this exact same possition last year. The reason she couldn't move up was poor performance of a skill that she would not be practicing much at all in the current level. How does that make sense?? I went to the director and explained the situation and they happily moved her up a level. She did great and got to practice on that skill and master it. In the end though, I feel that the red cross lessons in our area are very poorly taught - too many kids, not enough experience ( instructors are teenagers following a bullet sheet). They don't correct bad practice which made me very frustrated. They simply let the child "try" and how ever they tried, were told, "Good job!" but weren't told that what they did was wrong or given any instructions on how to do better the next try. I witnessed many, many kids "practice" doing a skill wrong with no correction. They got really, really good at doing it wrong. Terrible instruction in my opinion. I've had several mothers agree with me and find our local red cross classes to be a poor use of time and money where learning to swim is concerned. I am teaching my DD myself this year because of it. We will go to the city pool and practice daily for an hour, just like her classes would have been.

 

FYI: In another state, and another program all three of my older kids learned how to swim in an excellent red cross program. I am not knocking it. Just saying that some local programs may not be up to par. It is fine to let a GOOD instructor make the decisions about your kids progress but when you are sure the instructor is not satisfactory, it's better to step in and do it yourself or change instructors.

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Sure, I would ask. They can say no, but it can't hurt to ask if you are polite about it. Just express to them politely that you dd seems bored in the first part of this level and that you think she might be better suited to the higher level. If they say no, then you have to decide if you want her to keep doing the lessons at the lower level. I would be prepared to accept what they say.

 

My son who is about the same age was in a swim class in the spring that was too easy for him. I didn't take him out as he was having fun but I did feel like it was a bit of a waste of money. He wanted to try swim school at our pool this summer (it's part of the swim team but is developmental and only two days a week). They had "tryouts" which was really to determine if they were ready for swim school or needed more lessons. I figured it couldn't hurt to try and he did and they said he was ready. He's one of the youngest and most of the kids are better than him but he's enjoying it and I think working at the higher level has made him a much better swimmer this summer.

 

If your daughter wants to try the harder level and enjoys swimming...I'd say ask and see what happens.

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I'd see if you can get private lessons for a session. It sounds like the lessons at your pool are a lot like those at ours. I honestly don't see how they can do a good job teaching everyone with so many kids in a class, and I can see how you wouldn't want your daughter to just repeat all the stuff that she's already bored with. Our pool does not do private lessons in the summertime, b/c the instructors are all too busy. If you have the same problem, you might want to ask if any of the instructors are interested in teaching on their own time. Just an idea.

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With classes that big, they probably need to make sure each kid moving up knows a common core. Our swim school does do 1,1.5(advanced 1), 2, 2.5, etc... They will also let kids move up a little early but there are 4 kids in a class, which makes it easier to give a kid a little extra help.

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I don't see any reason not to take her to the pool this weekend and help her with her backstroke. Why shouldn't you teach her? I would do it if for no other reason than I wouldn't want to waste the money on another session in a class I didn't feel she needed. Sometimes the progress can be torturously slow in the kinds of classes you are describing just because there are so many kids in the class and the instructors aren't always so great.

 

Lisa

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Thanks for the replies. I will probably play it by ear on Monday and see how the make up of her class looks. We do play at the pool, but have not in the last week or so, and she loves to practice what she is learning. I ask before each session if she wants to go again and it is always a solid excited yes or I would cancel the session.

 

When we go tomorrow I will watch to see how comfortable she is on her back.

 

I am starting to call around to see what other pools offer. I would love to find private or a homeschool class so we can do it a couple times during the winter.

 

Anne

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From my experience, which is the Red Cross Learn to Swim program, the instructors do not advance a child to the next level until the child is able to do everything on that list to "pass." The downfall to it being a class of several children vs private lessons is the same downfall in all classroom situations -- the focus is the entire class, not one-on-one attention.

 

My boys did swim lessons last summer for 3-4 sessions (6-8 weeks) and again this summer (we'll do another 6 weeks).

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