CURRICULUM
BABIES & TODDLERS
Parent and Child Aquatics (6 months–about 4 years)
Course Overview: Teaches safe behaviors around the water and develops swimming readiness by leading parents and their children in water exploration activities with the objective of having fun and becoming comfortable on and around water.
6 – 18 MONTHS
Parent and Child Aquatics (A)
Student Teacher Ratio: 10:1 (5:1 Covid Safety)
Course Prerequisites: No skill prerequisites;
Child must be at least 6 months old to enroll; Parent or other caregiver must accompany each child into the water and participate in each class
Learning Objectives:
Provides experiences and activities for children so they:
- Learn to ask for permission before entering the water.
- Learn how to enter and exit the water safely.
- Feel comfortable in the water.
- Practice blowing bubbles.
- Explore submerging the mouth, nose and eyes completely.
- Explore buoyancy on the front and back position.
- Change body position in the water.
- Learn how to safely play in the water.
- Plus age-appropriate water safety topics.
BABIES & TODDLERS
Parent and Child Aquatics (6 months–about 4 years)
Course Overview: Teaches safe behaviors around the water and develops swimming readiness by leading parents and their children in water exploration activities with the objective of having fun and becoming comfortable on and around water.
18 – 36 MONTHS
Parent and Child Aquatics (B)
Student Teacher Ratio: 10:1 (5:1 Covid Safety)
Course Prerequisites: It is recommended that Child has completed Parent & Child (A) or have permission by instructor to participate.
Child must be between 18 months and 4 years old to enroll; Parent or other caregiver must accompany each child into the water and participate in each class
Learning Objectives:
- Builds upon the skills learned in Parent & Child (A) and provides experiences and activities for children so they understand the need for adult supervision around water.
- Learn more ways to enter and exit the water safely.
- Explore submerging in a rhythmic pattern.
- Glide on the front and back with assistance.
- Perform a rudimentary stroke using combined arm and leg actions on front and back with assistance.
- Change body position in the water.
- Plus age-appropriate water safety topics.
PRE SCHOOL
3 – 4 YEAR
Preschool Aquatics (3–4 years old)
Course Overview: Aims to promote the developmentally appropriate learning of fundamental water safety and aquatics skills by young children. Red Cross Preschool Aquatics teaches aquatic and safety skills in a logical progression through three levels of courses.
Absences: An occasional absence because of an illness or a party invitation will not affect a child’s progress. Missed classes can not be made up. 1 Make up allowed per class
Beginner Student Teacher Ratio: 6:1
Course Objectives: Orients children to the aquatic environment and helps them gain basic aquatic skills.
Participants use our “noodle belts” and a noodle for support in the water.
Course Prerequisites: No skill prerequisites; Child must be between 3 year and 5 years old to enroll and be fully potty-trained.
Learning Objectives:
- Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side
- Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
- Submerge mouth, nose and eyes
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front and back glides
- Recover from a front glide to a vertical position
- Back float and recover to a vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread with arm and hand actions
- Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back
- Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Plus age-appropriate water safety topics
PRE SCHOOL
3 – 4 YEAR
Preschool Aquatics (3–4 years old)
Course Overview: Aims to promote the developmentally appropriate learning of fundamental water safety and aquatics skills by young children. Red Cross Preschool Aquatics teaches aquatic and safety skills in a logical progression through three levels of courses.
Absences: An occasional absence because of an illness or a party invitation will not affect a child’s progress. Missed classes can not be made up. 1 Make up allowed per class
Intermediate Student Teacher Ratio: 6:1
Course Objectives:
Builds on the basic aquatic skills and water safety skills and concepts learned in Beginner. Participants use our 1 or 2 square “bubble belts” and/or a noodle for support in the water. Course Prerequisites: Child must have successfully completed Beginner Preschool or have instructor permission to participate (They should be comfortable getting their face wet and be able to swim independently with the support of our “bubble belts” and/or noodle); Child must be between 3 year and 5 years old to enroll.
Learning Objectives:
- Enter water by stepping in
- Exit water using ladder, steps or side
- Bobbing
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front and back floats and glides
- Recover from a front and back float or glide to a vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread water using arm and leg actions
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Finning arm action on back
- Plus age-appropriate water safety topics
SCHOOL AGE
Learn-to-Swim (children about 5 -14 years of age)
Designed to provide school-age children and young teens with a positive, developmentally appropriate aquatic learning experience, Red Cross Learn-to-Swim courses consist of a logical, six-level progression.
5 – 8 YEARS
Level 1— Introduction to Water Skills
Student Teacher Ratio: 8:1
Level Objective: Designed to orient participants to the aquatic environment and to help them gain basic aquatic skills. Participants may use our “bubble belts” and/or a noodle if needed for support in the water. Level Prerequisites: Must be five (5) years of age by the last scheduled lesson
Learning Objectives:
- Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side
- Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
- Bobbing
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front and back glides and floats
- Recover to vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread water using arm and hand actions
- Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back
- Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Plus age-appropriate water safety topics
SCHOOL AGE
Learn-to-Swim (children about 5 -14 years of age)
Designed to provide school-age children and young teens with a positive, developmentally appropriate aquatic learning experience, Red Cross Learn-to-Swim courses consist of a logical, six-level progression.
9 – 14 YEARS
Fundamental Aquatic Skills
Student Teacher Ratio: 8:1
Level Objective: Builds on basic aquatic skills and water safety skills and concepts learned. This level marks the beginning of independent aquatic locomotion skills. They do not use “bubble belts” at this level; only a noodle if needed, for support.
Learning Objectives:
- Enter and exit water by stepping or jumping from the side
- Fully submerge and hold breath
- Bobbing • Rotary breathing
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front, jellyfish and tuck floats
- Front and back glides and floats
- Recover to vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back
- Tread water using arm and leg actions
- Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
- Finning arm action
- Plus age-appropriate water safety topics
ADULT SWIM LESSONS (ages 15+)
For each level, individualized instruction is based on skill and comfort level, as well as, group dynamics.
Adult Novice (Introduction to Water Skills)
Student Teacher Ratio 8:1
Course Description: This course is designed for the fearful/novice participant in order orient oneself to the aquatic environment and to help one gain basic aquatic skills. Our Adult Introduction to Water Skills lessons can help teens or adults overcome their fear of the water and to learn the basic skills to achieve a minimum level of water competency.
Through a series of guided lessons, from a certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, participants will work on the foundations of swimming such as:
- Floating
- Gliding
- Gaining comfort in the water
Adult Beginners (Learning the Basics)
Student Teacher Ratio 7:1
Course Description: Our Adult Beginners Swim lessons can help teens or adults with minimal water experience to learn the basic skills to achieve a minimum level of water competency.
Through a series of guided lessons, from a certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor, participants will work on the foundations of swimming such as:
- swimming on front using combined arm and leg action
- swimming on back using a combined arm and leg action
- submerging head completely underwater, etc.
ADULT SWIM LESSONS (ages 15+)
For each level, individualized instruction is based on skill and comfort level, as well as, group dynamics.
Adult Intermediates (Learning and Refining Swim Strokes)
Student Teacher Ratio 7:1
Course Description: Our Adult Intermediate lessons are for teens and adults who want to improve their foundational skills and swimming strokes to gain an overall level of comfort in the water. It will also introduce some of the more complex details of the strokes that are introduced in the Adult Beginners lessons. These lessons are taught by a certified American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor who guides the participant through different lessons and work outs that have been designed to improve and build on existing skill sets.
Course Prerequisites: Comfortable in chest-deep water and able to get face wet; able to perform rudimentary version of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke for 15 yards.
Adult Advanced (Fitness Swimmer)
Course Description: Emphasis is placed on stroke technique for Freestyle (Front Crawl), Butterfly, Backstroke and Breaststroke using guided drills and strategies to help with body position, rotation, sculling and proper breathing patterns.
Each lesson is designed to continue the refinement of skills learned in the Adult Intermediate lesson and is ideal for moderate lap swimmers, seasoned tri-athletes as well as those desiring an introduction to the masters’ workout group. Course Prerequisites: Able to swim front crawl and back crawl for 25 yards and breaststroke for 15 yards.
