One of the most valuable gifts you can give your children is teaching them to swim.
Swimming is not only fun and a great form of exercise, but it also offers your kids a critical survival skill. And a good children’s swimming lesson should incorporate all three elements: it should teach them how to be safe in the water, let them get some exercise, and have some fun.
If you’re in the process of searching “kids swim lessons near me,” here are a few things you should consider when deciding on a class.
The basic questions
We recommend you begin your search by asking yourself, “Do the places offering kids’ swim lessons near me meet these requirements?”
- Instructors who are trained for your child’s age and skill level
- Instructors who get into the water to teach, rather than giving lessons from the deck of the pool
- Instructors who have formal training and are certified in CPR and first aid
- A setup that allows parents to watch the lessons
- A program that begins by teaching water survival skills before lessons on swimming strokes
- Personalized lessons so that your kids can focus and get more one-on-one swim time than they would in group classes
Once you’ve determined the class you’re considering meets those criteria, look at these factors:
1. How will your kids be evaluated?
In order to advance to the next skill level, your kids should have to demonstrate that they’ve learned specific swimming skills. How do instructors evaluate the children?
2. What kind of training do the teachers have?
Find out what kind of instructions and certifications the instructors have. Look for teachers with lifeguard or aquatic safety assistant certification, American Red Cross certification and specialized instructor certification for the age group they’re teaching.
You should also pay attention to how the instructors manage the class. If you see kids getting away with running around the pool or ignoring safety warnings, consider that a red flag.
3. Swimming alone vs. swimming with others
In group lessons, children spend a significant amount of time “hanging on the wall” waiting their turn to learn, practice, or demonstrate a skill. Consider the actual amount of learning time in a one-on-one lesson versus a group lesson when evaluation price.
4. Staff-to-student ratios
No matter how big the classes get, the ratio of instructors to students should be small enough to allow teachers to give each kid individual attention along with group activities. One-on-one, private swim lessons devote 100% of the lesson time to teaching your child, so that is the ideal scenario.
5. The classes themselves
Each class should balance learning skills and having fun and follow a natural progression of skills development. (Kids should know the proper way to hold their breath before they need to dunk their heads below water.) Look for instructors who are supportive, positive and well organized.
Has your “kids swim lessons near me” search landed on Club La Maison? Our expert swim instructors have found a way to make swim lessons fun while also making sure your kids come away with a mastery of this important skill. We’ve made it our goal for your kids to feel at home in the water and realize they can become expert swimmers and have fun at the same time.
Most importantly, all our swim lessons are private, not group classes. Your child gets personalized, one-on-one instruction with one of our highly train swimming instructors. This means your child won’t waste time “hanging on the wall” or splashing in the shallow end – they will have fun and learn valuable skills more quickly.
Click here to sign up for a free 30-minute consultation and swim assessment with one of our instructors. We look forward to teaching your children this priceless skill.
