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Chapter 2 (PART - 2)

Ten Lesson Plans

LESSON VI

Objective:

To teach back glide, back kick, and finning on the back.

Entering the Pool:

The children will enter the pool today from a sitting dive. If you have steps, direct them to sit on the third (or top) step. If you do not have steps into the pool, use the deck. There is definite psychological advantage in directing the children to dive from the side. The reason for this is that when the child dives off the end, he glides or swims toward the deeper water; and this knowledge may make him uneasy, even though he sees an adult standing in the shallow part of the pool.

If you are using the steps, the child is to sit on the third (or top) step, place his feet on the second step and spread his knees. If you are using the deck, the child sits on the edge and places his feet on the railing or gutter, spreading his knees. The glide is familiar to the group by now. “Big breath, arms over the ears, thumbs hooked, and dive right through your knees. Good. “This will be great fun, so suggest on the second round that they reach, reach, reach for the other side of the pool, and see how far they can glide. Then on the third round, they can dive, and glide with the kick and once more?”O.K., dive, and use arms only, and just once more? All right, use the whole stroke (arms and legs). Oh, I forgot to tell you, you are no longer corks, you are steamboats now because you have learned to float and now you are swimming or paddling like a boat. “

Review:

You have already covered many of the points given in previous lessons by using the sitting dive as your starting point for today's lesson. Gather your group in a circle and continue.

Face-down Float:”Today we are going to make a flower float. Our heads will be the center of the flower and our legs will be the petals. Let's all hold hands, take a big breath, put our heads down and our legs up, and I will count to ten, and then we will all stand together.

CHILD: Would you count out loud for us under the water?

TEACHER: That's an idea. I'll try it.

"Take a big breath, everybody down,”with you counting to ten and making lots of bubbles. Chances are some will even open their eyes under water to see if you are counting. (In a later lesson, singing under the water may be suggested.) Tell the children that you are going to watch their flower float and count for them, so step outside the float and count. You will have observed by now that the second time they do anything, they do it better. They are holding their breath for a much longer time, their legs are straighter.

Line up the children at the railing. Number the children starting with the child on the far end. “You are number One, and you are number Two, and you are One, and you are Two. Now look and see who you are standing beside, because you are going to glide out as far as you can go, and back to the wall. When you come back, you should get into the same spot you are in now.“

PAUL: I don't like it here. It's too deep.

TEACHER: YOU are the tallest, and the water only comes to your shoulders. And besides, you can swim now.

Remind the children of all the things they should think about before they push off on their glide. The Ones go first, and stay on the other side when they reach it. When they pop up about halfway, tell them to take another breath, push off from the bottom of the pool, and continue to the other side. The Twos then try to go farther than the Ones.

Today be very strict about a perfect glide. “When you are practicing your glide, your arms don't move, your legs don't move, nothing moves. Pretend your arms are glued to your ears. That will keep your head down and will keep you streamlined and you won't roll. Use your foot to push off from the side. And remember, your head ducks under first, then push. I
know it's a lot to think about, but if you do all of these things, you will surprise yourself one of these times, and find you can go all the way across the pool on one breath. “

Glide with the Kick: First the Ones, then the Twos. “Keep the thumbs hooked, concentrate on the distance you can go. “Post yourself a little past midway from the side at which the children push off.

Arms Only, No Kicking: Remind the children to push off with their thumbs hooked, and then to start the stroke. Always push off in the glide position before you begin stroking. This is important because the basic body position for the crawl is the glide position, and the swimmer should take full advantage of his glide after the push-off, for he is traveling faster than his own stroke would carry him. The difference aesthetically is very important also.

Arms and Legs: The children are used to hearing you call this”the whole stroke”by now, and you can use that term and the term”arms and legs”interchangeably. “Push off in a glide and then use the whole stroke as far as you can. “

Rotary breathing in wall position, no kicking.

Rotary breathing in wall position with the kick.

Introduce:

Getting a Breath and Continuing to Swim: Have the children stand at the side, watching you as you demonstrate why they have been practicing this rotary breathing so much. From the opposite side, swim toward them (keep your arms under water, as you have been directing them to do) and breathing from the side, get at least three breaths as you continue to swim toward them. Ask the children to try this one at a time. Inevitably in their first attempt, they will stand up after the first breath. But work patiently, and herald joyously even the barest success at getting a breath while afloat. Even if the child lifts his head forward instead of to the side, consider this successful for now. The important thing at this point is to get him to breathe without standing. You will find it helpful to walk through the water with a child, supporting him under the chest; direct him to paddle and kick, and when you call” Breathe,” to reach up for air. Continue calling out” Breathe” rhythmically, until you both reach the other side. In this way the child gets the feeling of the sequence of movements expected of him. He is not prepared yet to breathe and blow rhythmically with each stroke. Therefore, you can have him take two or three strokes and then breathe. Children who have learned this underwater stroke become masters of the pool and feel perfectly safe in deep water. The stroke is also known as the human stroke or the dog paddle. In this stroke, the child's arms are under the water. The great advantage is that he may breathe when he wishes; in this stroke, the arm movements and the breathing do not have to be related to one another. In the crawl stroke, however, where the swimmer pulls his arms up out of the water for the recovery of arm position, his breathing must be rhythmical with his arm movements. The crawl is one of the most difficult of all swimming strokes, and it is purposely not taught to the children until the intermediate level.

Review:

The Back Float: Before the lesson today, look over Lesson IV and try to keep in mind all of the fine points about the back float. In brief: Have him hold his arms out at his sides like an airplane; then, maintaining the position of his arms, the child should squat until the water is at shoulder level. Now, he is ready to ease back, with his head back and his eyes open. Stand behind him and hold your hands over his ears. “Take a big breath, make an island out of your tummy. Don't worry about your legs, let them dangle, but do keep your tummy up high. “Remind him again about the best way to regain his footing. “Pull up a chair, and stand. “As soon as each child has done a back float, line them all up along the railing at the end (or at one side) of the pool.

Introduce:

The Back Glide: The child starts his glide by holding on to the railing with both hands, his ears back in the water, his eyes open, his feet against the wall of the pool. Before he lets go of the railing, remind him to keep his arms close to his sides, and not extend them as he does in the Airplane Float. Before he lets go of the railing, tell him to take a big breath. Now say,”Slowly, let loose. “

Avoid saying”Push off,”as they interpret this literally, and even when you add”Barely”or”Slowly”they will still jet propel themselves into a fast sink. And this is what you will witness many fast sinks. The problem seems to be in getting them to straighten out their bodies.

"Let's try it again, and keep your head back. Look up at the sky. “The results appear disastrous, but if one child can keep afloat on his back for three seconds, after several attempts, the rewards are in view. It is generally true that girls are more buoyant than boys. Girls have a layer of adipose tissue that boys do not have. It is also true that more fat on the body is an aid to the back floater. Bone structure is another factor which serves as either an aid or a handicap to the back swimmer. But the most important factor in getting results is consistent practice and the increased un-tensing which accompanies it. One child found that he could float by resting his head on the second step. The water just covered his ears in this position on the steps, and gradually he floated away from the step. Another child experimented with the kick board. He held the kick board behind his head and rested his head on the board, which served much the same purpose as the teacher's holding his head. After bobbing around this way awhile, he found that floating was not as impossible as he thought it at first.

The Back Kick: Have the group stand with backs to the wall; tell them to squat until their shoulders are covered. Have them raise their arms over their heads and grasp the railing in such a way that the backs of their hands are toward the water, not the wall. This will help to hold their hips close to the surface. The kick is like kicking a ball. The kick is up, up, up. Of course the foot drops down too, but the emphasis is on the up motion. The toes just break the water.

The children will think what you mean is to pull the knees up to the chin, feet clear out of the water, heels hitting the water first. Lots of kicking and splashing. That, however, is not the way to back kick. This offers another opportunity in which to demonstrate what you have just witnessed. If they see you look so ridiculous, this may help. “I want to see just your toes, not your knees. How do you kick your shoe off when you're ready to go to bed? Kick a hole in the sky. Kick up, up, up. “If you can think of more original or intelligent ways to deliver the message, good for you. By the way, it is a little awkward for someone to hold on to the railing in this position. It is more comfortable in a corner of the pool. See that each

child has a chance to work in a corner, where there is more room for his head.

Back Glide with Kick:”Everyone in the back glide position. Ears way back, eyes open, big breath, keep your arms to your sides. Let loose slowly and begin to kick, pull up a chair and stand. “The child who was able to float for three seconds will probably be able to stay afloat with the kick for five seconds. Attempt the kick anyway, even though some cannot stay afloat for zero seconds, because it helps to straighten out the body. If the children become discouraged or are begging to do something different, play a game before you introduce finning.

Finning: This is the simplest of the arm movements that may accompany the back kick. Practice finning (without the back kick) this way: Stand in a circle with water at shoulder level. Both arms are extended from the sides at the same time and should not be more than twelve inches from the body. Never do the arms come above the water level. The wrist is relaxed, and the elbow is bent. Call the signals,”Relax, pull, relax, pull. “The”relax”is lifting the arms, and”pull”is back to the sides. Although in an earlier chapter it was advised not to use the word”relax,”it seems to be the most fitting word here, since in this case it is not used in a general sense, but to indicate a specific action. The children's arms will be stiff and flapping. As you sing,”Row, row, row your boat, Gently down the stream, Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream,”emphasize

the word that is the pull motion. Example: GENTly DOWN the STREAM.

Fin and Kick: Back to the back glide position to see what happens when you let go of the railing and start to fin and kick at the same time. “I have a good idea. Let's sing 'Row, row, row your boat' after we let loose of the railing, and see how much of the song we can sing. “What you hear is”

Row, row bloop. “

Just before playtime today, tell the children that tomorrow they will be going down to the deep end of the pool. Some will be delighted, and some will plainly announce,”Not me, I'm not. “

Do not allow any dives at playtime today, because they need to be well supervised, and you want to spend some time with Anne who is now afloat, and can glide for a second or two. You predict that she will be a good back floater because she was the one in your group who could stay afloat the longest. You are so thrilled over her progress, you will have to take care not to overdo your jubilance.

SUMMARY OF LESSON VI

Take to the Water:

Lesson Plan

Polyethylene toys

Introduce:

Sitting glide from the step.

Review:

1. Face-down float. The variation today: learning to make a flower float.
   
   
2. Front glide. Divide children by numbering them One, Two, One, Two.
   
   
3. The Ones perform, then the Twos. Emphasis is on distance. They are to take a breath from their stopping place on the first glide. Ones are to stay until the Twos join them. Then Ones glide back, followed by Twos.
   
   
4. Glide with the kick. First the Ones, then the Twos. Keep thumbs hooked.
   
   
5. Arms only, no kicking. (Two groups again.)
   
   
6. Arms and legs. (Two groups again.)
   
   
7. Rotary breathing in wall position, no kicking. (Whole group.)
   
   
8. Rotary breathing in wall position, with the kick. (Whole group.)

Introduce the Whole Stroke:

1. Demonstrate how to do the whole stroke (arms dog-paddling and legs kicking) and how to get two or three breaths as you continue to swim.
   
   
2. Have each child try this individually. Emphasis is on getting a breath as he continues to use arms and legs.

Review:

Back float (see Lesson III).

Introduce:

1. Back glide (from the railing): Hold on to the railing with both hands, ears back, eyes open, take a big breath, let loose slowly, tummy up, body out straight, float, stand correctly.
   
   
2. Back kick: Child stands with back to the wall, brings arms over his head and grasps railing. The kick is up, toes just breaking the water surface.
   
   
3. Back glide with kick.
   
   
4. Finning: Stand in a circle with water at shoulder level. Call the signals,”Relax, pull. “Arms do not come above surface of water; elbow is bent.
   
   
5. Fin with the kick, from the railing.
   
   
6. Playtime.
   

LESSON VII

Objective:

Sitting dive from the pool deck.

Turning in the water.

Turning from front position to back position.

Changing directions.

Deep-water drills (including treading water).

Getting into the water: It was mentioned in the previous lesson that if you did not have steps going down into your pool, the children could learn the sitting dive from the pool deck. There is not a great deal of difference between the sitting glide (from the top step) and the sitting dive (from the pool deck). The top step and the pool deck are only about ten inches apart in most cases, but some very amusing and amazing things can happen within that small span.

The children sit on the deck with their feet on the railing or the gutter, and spread their knees. They put their arms over their ears, hook their thumbs, take a big breath, put their heads down, and dive in. Some will maintain the position perfectly; but others manage to jump in feet first (glunk), or rear their heads way up like baby birds just before they hit the water (splat).

For the child who jumps feet first, gently hold his feet for him as you stand in the water.

For the head rearer, tell him to keep his arms pasted against his ears and to look down, not up. Tell him to be sure to keep his chin against his chest. If he doesn't he'll land on his stomach. Because the child is so close to the surface of the water, these belly busters do not cause him any pain and he thinks he is a great diver. It's difficult to convince him that he isn't.

There's still another variation, and that is the child who somersaults. Suggest he reach for the other side of the pool, and if the suggestion isn't effective, then place a kick board about ten feet out in the water, and have him reach for the board.

The first sitting dive is one for practice and fun and form. The next dive should be a glide for distance. That is, see how far the child can glide on one breath from the sitting dive. On the next round, have each child start the whole stroke, and see how far he can swim on one breath. Often because the dive is an aid to
distance, this will be the first time that they have been able to swim the entire width of the pool.

You do not have to be an acute observer to notice the contrast in the execution of routine skills before and after the dive is learned. What was previously done with mousy-like suspicion, and with apparent dislike and apprehension, now seems to be relished to the other extreme of utter abandon. The children dive in, scramble out, and are ready to go again.

This is also a switch. Heretofore, you have been the one ready to go, and they were the ones who needed prodding.

In the beginning, however, it is important that the children wait their turn and dive one at a time. They are diving in water that is slightly over their heads, but you need not announce that. Have them sit on the side of the pool and swim diagonally toward the corner of the opposite side.

Review:

Bobbing in a circle. Play Ten Little Indians as described in Lesson IV.

Make a flower float as described in Lesson VI.

"Can anybody hold their breath under the water to twenty?”Several can.

Practice the glide from the glide position on the side of the pool. The children might go one at a time, or number them off One, Two, One, Two.

The emphasis is on long, smooth glides. Remind them that they were able to hold their breath to twenty, only seconds ago. Count out loud for them. It's surprising how much longer they can sustain their glide.

When both groups reach the other side of the pool, they are to return, using the kick with the glide. Ones first, then the Twos.

Now back again to the opposite side, using the whole stroke, arms and legs.

You are so delighted with the progress today that you turn to one child and say,”Wherever did you learn to swim like that?”The child replies,”We went to the lake yesterday, and my brother taught me how. “Your spirits are only partially dampened.
  
When the emphasis is on long smooth glides, count loudly and stand back so the child has to reach for you.

Now practice the whole stroke again. Tell the Ones to use the whole stroke. “Only this time, now wait, this time, reach up and get one breath somewhere in the middle of the pool and continue to swim. “Remind them to keep kicking, and not to stand. After the Twos have had their turn, tell them to take two breaths on the return trip.

TEACHER: YOU didn't take any breaths at all.

CHILD: I don't need any. I can go all the way across on one.

TEACHER: When I call”Breathe,”take a breath.

Introduce:

Progressive Rotary Breathing with Arm Stroke: Walk with the hands on the knees and practice rotary breathing. Keep this procession going in a large circle for at least ten breaths. Then begin reaching and pulling the arms under water as the breathing continues, for about ten more breaths. You will be busy going from one child to the next, helping to keep his cheek on the water, his face straight down, and making sure the arms are pulling toward the stomach. Call”Breathe and blow,”"Reach and pull”very slowly. Don't forget to call”Eyes open”whenever necessary. And now is a good time to remark about the children who have their fingers spread wide apart. “How many of you use a fork for soup? Make a spoon out of your hand, not a fork, so you can really pull yourself through the water. Feel the difference?"

Now hop back to the wall, and try the whole stroke again with breathing. The results will be about as follows: One child can get across the pool taking three breaths, one can get in two breaths before he stands, one takes one breath, and Anne is trying furiously. 

Review:

Back Stroke: Have the group face the wall, hold on to the railing, and repeat all of the instructions necessary for the back stroke, as described in the previous lesson. You are absolutely astonished that two of your group can cover a distance just short of fifteen feet. The third is afloat, but he can't seem to stay afloat when he starts any motion. And the fourth is sinking, but not quite as fast as he sank yesterday. This is the day for celebration! Seeing such dramatic results gives you the zest and energy you need to patiently review with the children who are having difficulties.

Now is the time to explain how the good swimmer breathes when he is swimming on the back. Up to this point the children have just been holding their breath, and they were not afloat long enough to need another breath. Tell them always to breathe through their mouths. Get a big breath quickly, hold it, let it out and quickly get another big breath. It is similar to gasping. In contrast to rotary breathing, they are not to breathe out through the nose at all.

Introduce Turns:

Turning in the Water: It is important for the children's safety that they learn to turn while swimming, so that they can get back to their starting point if necessary. They have been practicing only straight swimming, and though a turn sounds simple enough, it takes more control of the body than some manage to have. Even though they understand the directions and watch the others, they are unable to turn their bodies without some practice. The teacher stands approximately ten feet from the middle of the group. The child on the far end is to swim out to you, pass in front of you, and end up over in the corner. He is to make this turn on one breath. It is more fun to say something like this:”Now, Paul, swim out to my house, just honk, don't stop, and swim on over to Barbara's house. “And so on down the line.

Turning with Rotary Breathing: Now you need to check with each child to see which side he breathes on. If he breathes on his right side, he should start at the end (the corner) of the pool so that when he breathes he faces the inside of the semicircle. He is to perform the same semicircular swim, only he should try to take at least two breaths.

Turning from Front to Back:”Pretend you have been swimming a mile or two and you suddenly get very tired and all swimmers get tired so you need to rest. “(Don't ask them what they would do, as it would take five minutes out of the lesson.) Demonstrate by swimming halfway across the pool, turning on your back and continuing the rest of the distance using the back stroke (football kick and finning). The first time the children attempt this skill, they really rest. They swim out, stop, stand, turn around, kick off from the bottom to get on their backs. It takes some practice to turn without touching bottom.

Not an unfortunate drowning, but”learning to turn in the water. “The teacher stands ten feet from the group.
 

Changing Directions: This is a really rough one. “Pretend you are swimming out to an island for a picnic and when you get halfway there, you remember that you forgot your lunch; but you're tired, so turn on your back and swim the back stroke all the way back to the shore. “For your demonstration, have the children line up in two rows in the center of the pool. Tell them to watch your legs. Swim between the rows, turn on your back by pulling your legs under you, extend them in the opposite direction, and start the back stroke back to the wall. There will be some struggling as they try to turn without touching the bottom.

Both of these last two skills (turning from front to back, and changing directions) are absolutely necessary for deep-water swimmers. That is, turning without touching bottom. Do not point out to the children the dangers of deep water, however. You want them to swim pleasantly and safely in deep water, and not to be afraid of it. Don't say,”When you get out in the deep there won't be any bottom to stand on. “They know that already. Announce simply:”We are going down to the other end of the pool now.“

Before you start out on this adventure, size up your group a little. Some of the more”expert”swimmers may be the ones who seem most apprehensive. They need a little nudging.

There will be others who have been trying to get down to the deep end every day. A good way to start is to line them up along the railing, your eager ones first, hesitant ones next, and you can bring up the rear. If the whole group seems willing, swim alongside of them and warn them to stop on the side and not go farther than the corner. The children will huddle together on the side of the pool, close to the corner; a good place for you is directly behind them, on the end. You know that they are excited, and you yourself observe more sharply and are more alert in this situation.

Introduce Deep-water Drills:

Take a big breath and hold it, exhale.

Take a big breath and hold face in the water to the count of five.

Hold the railing with one hand and bob ten times.

Cork Float: Hold the railing with one hand, hold the knees under the chest with the other arm.

Tread Water: Have the children all face the same direction. They are to hold the railing with one hand and fin with the other arm. Everybody turns, holds the railing with the other hand and fins with his free arm. Now start riding your bicycles while you are finning with one arm. Your legs do not come to the surface. They stay straight up and down in the water, just as though you were walking.

Now have all the children face the wall, and individually, hold each child under the arm (your other arm is holding the railing) and tell him to fin with both arms while he rides his bike.

"Start riding your bicycle first, let go of the railing, and start finning, and see how long you can keep your head above water. “Like any new skill they find this difficult and heads bob under before you can count to one. The railing is within easy grasp, and is grabbed more times than you would care to count during this first practice. But children like this challenge, and before long can tread water for a few seconds, maybe three, then five, and then with each practice they increase the length of time they can perform this difficult and satisfying skill."O.K., back to the shallow end for playtime. “

Treading water is one of the first deep-water drills.

Some are pretty disappointed that this is all of the deepwater activity, but with your promise of bigger and better things to come, and your suggestion that they practice more sitting dives, they scurry hand-over-hand down the railing. Going down the slide, diving for rocks, playing Ring-around-a-rosy no longer has the same appeal as it did only three short lessons ago.

SUMMARY OF LESSON VII

Take to the Water:

Lesson Plan

Clock

Introduce Sitting Dive:

If you have no steps to your pool, you will work from the side.

If you do have steps, you will begin here the practice of sitting dives; then move to the side.

Dive for practice in entering the water correctly.

Dive and glide for distance.

Dive and use the whole stroke (arms and legs, head down). If you want to devote more time to this, use legs only first, then arms only, and finally the whole stroke.

Review:

1. Bobbing in a circle. (Play Ten Little Indians.)
   
   
2. Make a flower float as described in Lesson IV. (Emphasis is on the child's holding his breath for a longer time than in his previously established record.)
   
   
3. Number the children off, Ones and Twos. In each of the following exercises, the Ones go first across the pool, then the Twos join them. The Ones return first, then the Twos.

Glide.

Glide with kick.

Arms only.

Arms and legs (whole stroke).

Arms and legs, take one breath, continue to swim across.

Whole stroke, this time taking two breaths as they continue to swim.

Introduce:

1. Progressive rotary breathing with arm stroke: Walk with hands on knees and practice rotary breathing. Begin underwater arm movement as you continue rotary breathing and walking in a circle.
   
   
2. Whole stroke again, with breathing; getting at least three breaths is the goal for each child.

Review:

1. Back stroke. Finning and kicking, and explain breath control on the back.

Introduce Turns:

1. Child swims in a semicircle from the wall, passes in front of you (you are standing about ten feet from the wall), and finishes in the corner.
   
   
2. Turn with rotary breathing: If child breathes on his right side, he should start in the corner so that side faces the inside of the semicircle. He should get two breaths.
   
   
3. Turning from front to back: Swim halfway across the pool, turn for the back position, and continue to the other side of the pool, using the back stroke.
   
   
4. Changing directions: Swim halfway across pool face down, pull your legs under you, without touching the bottom, extend them, and start the back stroke, and return to your original position.

Introduce Deep-water Drills:

1. Big breath and hold it, blow out air.
   
   
2. Big breath, hold face in the water and count to five.
   
   
3. Hold the railing with one hand and bob ten times.
   
   
4. Cork float: Hold the railing with one hand, hold the knees under the chest with the other arm, face down for the count of five.
   
   
5. Tread water.
   
   
6. Hold railing with one hand and fin with the other arm. Reverse this.
   
   
7. Hold railing with one hand, fin with the other arm and ride a bicycle with your legs.
   
   
8. All face the wall, and you hold each one under the arm, while he fins.
   
   
9. Face the wall, start bicycle paddling first, then finning; aim is to keep head above water.
   
   
10. Playtime: In the shallow end of the pool.

LESSON VIII    

Objective:

How to dive from one knee.

Swim in deep water (front and back).

Jump in deep water.

Proper ascent from deep water.

Line up the children on the deck and demonstrate a dive on one knee. The depth of the water should be just about equal to the child's height. Hook the toes of one foot over the edge of the pool; the knee of the other is on the deck. With arms over the ears, and thumbs hooked, the child should begin to lean as if to touch the water with his hands and without changing the position of his arms i.e., extended and over his ears he leans until he falls in. Remind the children to keep their chins on their chests in order to keep from belly flopping. You do not have to complete this dive; just show them the correct position. The children are to dive, one at a time, returning each time to the same spot on the deck. They should repeat the one-knee dive several times, and should begin to dive for distance, as in the sitting dive. On the second round, have them begin the whole stroke, reaching up for a breath when they need it; the aim now is to reach the other side of the pool. For the belly floppers say,”I want you to swim all the way under the water after your dive. “Two rounds is all the time you will want to give to diving because this is a busy and exciting twenty-five' minutes today.

Review:

Beginning in the water from the Glide Position: Glide across for distance, glide back with the kick, glide across with arms only, then use the whole stroke (arms and legs on one breath). To expedite this, number the children, Ones and Twos. Now, before they start out on the breathing, remark that some of them can get one breath, and some can get two breaths, and some three, but that today, they should breathe when they need to, and should not stop until they reach the other side. Also, you have not said much about their rearing their heads forward, because the important thing earlier was to teach them how to breathe; however, today remind them to be sure to breathe from the side, because when they lift their heads forward, their feet sink; so ask them to breathe just the same as they do when they practice rotary breathing on the side. Cheek on the water, and blow. If you feel it is necessary to review rotary breathing, or progressive rotary breathing (walk, use arms as you breathe), do so.

Have the children go individually, and correct the basic faults. In other words, if a child is having trouble and seems to be doing everything wrong, don't talk about the way he spreads his fingers. Go back to basic things like the way he pushes off in his glide, with his head out of water; or the fact that he is not kicking at all; or ask him if he knew one arm was doing all the work, and the other arm was taking a nap. If a child can paddle along and breathe fairly regularly pulling his arms under the water, ask him to try a width with the overarm stroke. Do not call it the”crawl”stroke, or”free-style”stroke, because this does not present the picture you want the child to visualize. In using the underwater arm stroke, the child can take a breath whenever he wants to. In using the overarm stroke, this is not the case. Without showing the child specifically when to breathe, let him try pulling his arms out of the water and breathing to the side when it seems natural for him to do so. If he is fairly successful, tell him that he can swim faster this way and that he should continue it. You will have to be the judge as to when you should make this suggestion. Use this as a guide: When the child can take three or four breaths as he uses the whole stroke, and is breathing correctly from the side, and when he looks as though he could swim farther than the width of the pool, then he is ready for the overarm stroke and for more work on rhythmic breathing.

Have the Ones, then the Twos swim the width of the pool, tread water at the side, and come all the way back to their starting position using the back stroke (fin and football kick). Now is the time to suggest that they sing”Row Row Row Your Boat"; this will make them remember when they sank before they could get a word out, and they will feel pleased with themselves. Tell that back swimmer merrily headed toward the deep end of the pool that if he would open his eyes, he would swim straight, or at least go where he wanted to go.

Review making a turn while swimming using rotary breathing. Review turning from front to back, and changing directions (all fully described in the previous lesson).

Down to the Deep End: Perhaps your shy child needs no urging about going down to the other end of the pool today. She saw with her own eyes that all of her friends who went down on the last lesson all came back. Play follow the leader, hand over hand, down the railing, advising the leader to stop just short of the end, while you bring up the rear. Tell your little friend who looks tearful by now that she can just watch, and you will not have her do things she is not yet ready to do. She goes because her pride is at stake, and because she trusts you.

You may have someone who missed yesterday's lesson, so review holding breath, and the cork float, and invite her to join you. If you have no one to be initiated, start in with treading water, facing the railing, and urge the children to see how long they can keep it up. Remind the children to start peddling first, then to fin. “Since you are all such lovely singers, let's see who can sing the longest while treading. Everybody ready? 'Home, home on the range, Where the deer and the antelope play . . .'“It may be more fun for you to sing”Seventy-Six Trombones,”but it is important that you pick a song which they know so that you won't hear the excuse that they can't keep their heads out of water because they don't know the words to that song.

Introduce:

Announce very calmly to your best and most confident swimmer:”Swim the width of the pool. Grab the railing if you need it. “Instruct the others in your firmest voice. “You are all to stay right here. “Use your best side stroke and swim along with your first swimmer. Tell him to remain at the other side of the pool, comment very little on his exhibition, unless, of course, he did not use the railing or gutter at all, but chances are he will have had to. Swim back and escort the next child. Tell him to remain with the first one. Now, of the children who have been swimming in the deep water, one grabbed the railing only once, and one held the railing with one hand all the way, swimming very well with the other arm.

But there's Anne. Coax her to just cut the corner from her railing, on the side, over to where you are holding on to the railing at the end. Maybe she will, maybe she won't. It's only one stroke. You can't give her too much time because you can't leave your others unattended. You may reach your hand out to hers, and she reaches for it and beams all over at this short glide. “I wouldn't take you down here if you couldn't swim, Anne, but you can swim the whole width of the pool now, so you will be a deep-water bug before you know it. “A conversation is going on as you and Anne, by means of the railing, join the others at the end of the pool. “Did I tell you you were all deep-water bugs now?"

Back to your first swimmer:”This time swim over, taking as many breaths as you need, and see if you need the railing at all; when you get to the other side, tread, and come all the way back on your back. “"Oh, no,”they moan. This is a large order. Do not ask this of a child who cannot swim well on his back in the shallow end. Even the child who is sure of his back stroke in the shallow end may freeze at this suggestion. He may start out very well on his back stroke and suddenly turn and get in his more comfortable position that of swimming on his stomach. Or he may turn and grab the railing. It is necessary that you accompany each child even though the railing is there to grab. He has the railing on one side and you on the other. If he starts to grab you, push him gently to the railing. Offer an alternative swim for the poor back swimmers. They are to swim over, pound the deck three times, or bark like a dog, and then swim all the way back.

This sounds perhaps as if you are pretty busy. You are. Whether it is a precarious business, taking four children down to the deep water who are not experienced swimmers, depends on the specific situation. If you know you have a child who does not take your instructions seriously, and you know by now that he will not heed you when you say”Stay,”do not take him along as part of a group. If you do not swim, and have been using an older child to demonstrate, you have gotten along pretty well up to now. However, do not attempt to offer any help with your hands if the children are in the deep end of the pool and if you cannot swim. You can do it all by means of a bamboo pole and a little intelligence. Walk along the deck holding the pole a little ahead of the child, and as he swims the width, you walk along on the deck. When Anne hesitates, extend the pole to her, or have her reach for the pole which is extended a foot or two from her, then pull her from the side to the end by means of the pole instead of your hand. This is not to say that this method ought to be used instead of your swimming alongside the children. It is only to say that there is a substitute way if the teacher cannot handle himself easily in deep water. In this lesson there is a gradual separation from the teacher, and in the next two lessons, a complete independence develops.

Making a Turn: This time you are the policeman. You hold on to the railing on the end about halfway across, and extend your hand. The child closest to the shallow end is to swim out to you using the whole stroke and rotary breathing, touch your hand which is the”Go”signal, and swim back to the corner. For the back swimmers, have them touch the”Go”signal and fin and kick on their backs as they swim back to the wall. (Same as changing directions.)

Climb Out of the Water: There is an easy and graceful way to climb out of deep water. You should practice it and have it perfected before you show the children. It is fun sometimes, before you show them the proper way to get out of deep water, to burlesque for them ways in which you have seen some people get out. Demonstrating all the sights you have seen, such as throwing one leg on the deck, and struggling with the other leg, ending up by falling back in the water, or teetering on your stomach or any way that looks awkward, ungainly, and splashy.

The correct way is done simply with one movement. You place both hands flat on the pool deck, and then, with upward thrust and a quick twist of your body, you flip yourself in a sitting position either to the right or left of your hands, your feet dangling in the water.

It is not as easy for the children as you had hoped. Especially for those solidly built ones who are somewhat less than agile.

Jump with Teacher: Take the child's hand and jump from the end of the pool (with the child closest to the railing or gutter). Climb out the proper way and continue with each child. “Can I hold my nose?”"Certainly. “

Jump to the Teacher: Then, stay in the corner, and let each child jump to you. Some will not jump unless you are holding their hand. So be it.

Jump Alone: Jumping into water over their heads is just made-to-order for some, and takes courage for others. It is time, now, for you to climb out of the pool and get your bamboo pole. The pole should be about six or seven feet long and the end you extend into the water should be bound with friction tape. Stand on the side as the children are lined up on the end ready to jump alone. Instruct them to jump, climb out, and get at the end of the line for another turn. If your pool has a railing, the hesitant ones have learned to jump and grab the railing at the same time. Warn the children not to jump too close to the side.

Jump and Swim: On the second round, each child is to jump feet first and start to swim, using the whole stroke and rotary breathing, down to the shallow end of the pool. He is to use the railing when he needs it. You escort each child by walking on the deck, with your pole just a foot or two ahead of the swimmer. It is interesting to observe that your best swimmer is grabbing the railing more than he needs to. Also interesting that one of your group is swimming better than he has ever swum before. He is really pulling those arms and kicking those legs, whereas in shallow water he had made only a partial effort. It is a good idea to count the number of times the children grab the railing on their trip down. This is not to be used as a black mark against them, but just as an observation which you can comment on at the next lesson. For the child who can swim without using the railing at all, this is an earned victory. “Gee, isn't that wonderful? You swam twenty-five feet. Your longest swim yet. How about it, do you think you could swim all the way back? We'll see next lesson.“

Playtime: For playtime today, give free rides letting the child hold on to the bamboo pole as you pull him back and forth the width of the deep end. Then back to the shallow end to practice one-knee dives.
 

SUMMARY OF LESSON VIII

Take to the Water:

Lesson plan

Bamboo pole

Introduce

Dive on one knee. First dive should be a dive for distance; the second should begin the whole stroke. Urge the group to get as many breaths as they need to reach the other side of the pool.

Review:

(Divide the group into Ones and Twos. The first four exercises which follow should be done on one breath.)

1. Glide for distance.
   
   
2. Glide with the kick.
   
   
3. Use arms only, no kick.
   
   
4. Use the whole stroke (arms and legs).
   
   
5. Rotary breathing at the side, or progressive rotary breathing if necessary.
   
   
6. Introduce overarm stroke if it seems to be called for.
   
   
7. Use whole stroke, tread water, and return on the back, using football kick and finning.
   
   
8. Turn in the water (swim from wall, past teacher, end up in corner), using rotary breathing.
   
   
9. Turn from front to back (swim midway, turn over on back and finish distance of pool on back).
   
   
10. Changing directions. (Swim midway, pull legs through and return to starting point on back.)

 
Review: Down to the Deep End

1. Cork float (no railing).
   
   
2. Tread water (sing).

Introduce:

1. Swim the width of the pool (teacher swims alongside using side stroke), using the railing when necessary. Only one child at a time.
2. Swim the width again, emphasize taking breaths instead of grabbing railing; tread water; have them come all the way back on their backs; finning and football kick.
3. Offer alternative swim for poor back swimmers (Swim over using whole stroke, rotary breathing, pound the deck three times, and use the same means of return.)
4. Make a turn in the water (teacher is the policeman).
5. Climb out of water.
6. Jump with teacher.
7. Jump to teacher.
8. Jump alone.
9. Jump and swim to shallow water.

Playtime: Give rides with bamboo pole in deep water. Practice one-knee dives in shallow water.
 

LESSON IX

Objective:

Preparation for test to be given on last lesson.

Correct weak points of each child.

Learn standing dive.

Endurance swim.

Review:

Today it is important that you have in mind specific ways to help each child overcome his weaknesses. These will chiefly involve the back stroke and breathing. Review the points of the back stroke in Lesson VI before you start today. Start with the back float, holding each child's head in your hands, then the back glide; review the kick and finning separately, then put the whole stroke together. There will be progress.
Perhaps you notice that another child is getting no help from his kick when he swims face down. Have him hold a kick board and kick back and forth across the shallow end, using rotary breathing. If another child has a fairly strong kick but putters around with his arms, not really pulling hard under water, set him to work using arms only. Have a third child practice rotary breathing on the railing and so forth.

Divide the groups into Ones and Twos. In glide position, review glide; glide with kick only; glide with arms only; whole stroke on one breath; whole stroke with rotary breathing. “See, it helped to practice your kick; you fairly flew across. Let's see how it is in the deep water. “And down they go along the railing, and you climb out.

Introduce:

Standing Dive: Have the children ascend from the water in the way they have been taught in Lesson VIII. (Since you are on the deck, with your handy pole, it may be necessary to brace yourself and pull a few out. You do this for the ones who can't get out by hook or crook.)

For the standing dive, stand with toes hooked over the edge of the pool, feet spread a comfortable distance. The toes are hooked to help in the push-off, and to prevent slipping. When the arms are over the ears, and the thumbs hooked, bend from the waist, and as you bend, one leg (usually the right one), lifts slowly behind you until you lose your balance, and fall in head first. Warning: It is difficult to demonstrate without falling in.

The children should try this dive, one at a time, from the end and near the side. There may be a child who will stand like a statue for a painfully long minute, and in spite of all of your words of encouragement, will not be able to take the dive.

"Bend a little farther. “

"I'm scared. “

"Let your leg go back a little farther. “

"I'm scared. “

"Take a big breath, and go. “

"I'm scared. “

"Bend your knee a little. “

"I can't. “

"Do you want me to help you a little?"

Splash!

The child interpreted the word”help”correctly. How else could the teacher help but push him a little? And the thought of this is worse misery than he was already encountering, so before the teacher had a chance to”help,”in he went. With each dive, a little more ease and grace is developing. After three times around, instruct the children to stay in the water and hold the railing on the side.

Review:

Tread Water: Emphasis is of course on keeping the head above water longer than the time before, longer than they did at their last lesson. Pair them off, and have them face each other and count loudly; each one will attempt to stay above longer than his partner.

Turn from Front to Back: Have each child use the whole stroke with rotary breathing to about the center of the pool and when you yell”Turn,”he is to turn on his back and finish the distance with the back stroke. For the good back swimmers, you can yell”Turn”sooner and given them the satisfaction of a good long back stroke. For the poor back swimmers, yell”Turn”when they are nearly at the other side, and they will have the satisfaction of being able to go a short distance at least. Each turn is taken near the railing on the end so the child can use it if necessary, and he is comforted by the sight of you ambling along slightly ahead of him with your pole.

Changing Directions: Again, one at a time, and near the railing on the end, have the child swim out, pull his legs through and return to his starting place, using the back stroke. Here again, you call the signals, so call”Turn”to meet the needs of the child. The very fact that you are not omitting any child, but calling his name and assuming he can perform this as well as the next one, very often convinces him that he can, and he does.

Introduce:

Jump and Swim Front and Back: Now they are to jump in, not dive, use the whole stroke until they reach the other side; they are not to touch the railing, the wall, or the side with their feet, but instead, tread water and return to their starting place, using the back stroke. You do not need to tell the child who cannot yet swim the width on his back that he can turn over and finish on his front, he will do this anyway. You can egg him on. If he gets midway:”Come on, you can make it, just a little bit farther, nice and easy, fin fin fin, slowly-slowly with that kick, I won't let you bump your head, I'll tell you when you are there, don't look back, hooray hooray hurrah, stop. “

Sitting Dive and Swim to Other Side: This has been a workout so far. Physically and otherwise. So have the children all climb out and lie down on their stomachs while you explain a game. The game is called”King Fish,”and how you play the game depends upon the abilities of your group. If there is only one child who needs the railing, then the whole group can go at once. If there are two children who need the railing, divide
the group. You are not taking any chances. Anne needs the railing, you know, once and sometimes twice, but Barbara too needs to grab it occasionally. So Anne and Tom are in the first game with Anne closest to the end. Barbara and Paul are in the second game.

The game is simple: The children are to get into a sitting dive position (feet on railing, knees spread), and when the teacher says”Go,”they are to dive, swim to the other side, climb out, and the first one in a sitting position with his arms clutching his knees is the King Fish.

Up to now, no more than one child has been swimming in deep water at any one time. So do not propose this game until you are sure of your swimmers. And even when you are, you do not take anything for granted; you walk along the end with your pole, your eyes bouncing from one swimmer to the next.

Anne won because she can really shinny out of the pool. She is jubilant. (Note: To avoid a lot of false starts, do not say”On your mark, get set, go. “Simply wait until they are all ready and use one word”Go. “) While you are watching them you are conscious of the fact that during the racing the children lose their good form; but, really, you are so busy watching to see that no one is in distress that you can't tell who kicked which way or whose breathing was the most regular; but you can see that racing would be better at a much later time, because though the game was fun, the minute you say”race”to children it means the sacrificing of some of their skills. This point is stressed here because playing this game (or one similar to it) is fun, but in the beginning stages of learning to swim, it is wiser to concentrate on developing skills and form. In addition, children five and six years old are really poor sports and do not lose gracefully.

Now is the time to tell your group that their next lesson is their last lesson and that they will be given a test to see if they can do all of the things they really have learned to do in the water. The hardest part of the test is: Jump from the deep end of the pool, and swim twenty-five feet (show them where that would be and mark it with something like a kick board if your pool is longer than twenty-five feet), tread water, and swim all the way back to the deep end using the back stroke.

So devote the remainder of the time today to practice. “No, you won't pass the test if you grab the railing. That's why we're practicing today, to build up our endurance. “"What's endurance?”"If you can swim fifty feet today, then you already have endurance. Go. “Let each child try this before you tell them about your other test, which is to swim twenty-five feet, tread water, and swim all the way back.

"Go. “

"Whole stroke?"

"Yes. “

"Arms and legs?"

"Yes. “

"Rotary breathing?"

"Yes. “

"All the way back?"

"Yes. “

"Backstroke?”

"Yes. “

"What if I can't make it?”
"What if you can!"

Playtime: Playtime today is in the deep end of the pool, each doing what he likes to do best. Some will practice jumping, some will try more standing dives, some will swim a little; none will practice their back stroke without urging, and one little voice will say, ”Can I have my playtime in the shallow end?” "Sure, Anne. “Whether or not you allow more than one child in the deep water during playtime depends on how many children you are supervising, or how many adults are observing, or your own fears, and on your own swimming ability.

SUMMARY OF LESSON IX

Take to the Water:

Lesson plan

Bamboo pole

Review:

1. Be prepared to work on each child's weak points. Work individually, and have all work on their specific problems in the first few minutes of the lesson.
   
   
2. Have whole group review rotary breathing with the whole stroke.
   
   
3. Review all the points of the back stroke in Lesson VI and practice with the whole group. Then divide the group into Ones and Twos.
   
   
4. Glide for distance.
   
   
5. Glide with the kick.
   
   
6. Glide with arms only.
   
   
7. Whole stroke. (Numbers 4 through 7 on one breath.)
   
   
8. Whole stroke with rotary breathing (with emphasis on breathing from the side). Whole group to deep end; teacher out of water.
   
   
9. Hand over hand down to deep end.
   
   
10. Climb out properly.

Introduce:

Standing dive. Toes hooked on edge of pool, arms over ears, thumbs hooked, bend at the waist, lift one leg slowly behind you, lose your balance, and fall in, head first.
 
Review in Deep Water:

1. Treading water (with singing).
   
   
2. Turning from front to back (judge distance according to ability of back swimmer).
   
   
3. Changing directions (the turn again depends on the ability of the back swimmer).

Introduce:

1. Jump in from side, use whole stroke and rotary breathing to other side, tread water, swim all the way back using the back stroke.
   
   
2. Game called”King Fish”(sitting dive, swim to the other side, climb out properly, first one out in a sitting position, clutching his knees, is the King Fish). This is the first time more than one child is swimming in the deep water at the same time, so play it safe.
   
   
3. Jump from deep end of pool, swim (whole stroke, rotary breathing) twenty-five feet, tread water, and come all the way back using the back stroke. (Make mental note of number of times child uses railing.)

Playtime: In deep water under careful supervision.

LESSON X

Take to Water:

Test sheets

Bamboo pole

Rock or object to dive for

Objective:

To pass the test.

If you are a qualified swimmer we suggest you obtain from the YMCA or American Red Cross some beginning swimmer .skills' sheets before you test your swimmers. If you are not qualified to sign”beginning swimmer”cards and award buttons for passing these national aquatic tests, the test given below will serve as a very adequate substitute. It is a combination of the beginning swimmer tests given by the Red Cross and by the YMCA; and, in addition, this test includes some of the skills the children have learned that are not on the national tests.

The chief difference between the YMCA test and the Red Cross test comes in the last skill tested, which is the most difficult. The YMCA test reads:”Jump feet first into water over head, swim 25 feet, any stroke, turn around, and return to Starting place. “The Red Cross examination reads:”Jump feet first into water over head, swim 15 yards, turn about and swim back to starting point,”and”Dive into deep water, swim IS yards, turn around, turn over on the back and rest in floating position for 15 seconds, then turn again and swim back to starting point. “In the test given below, the most difficult skill reads as follows:”Jump into deep water, swim 25 feet, tread water, turn, and return to starting place using the back stroke. “You may feel that each of the children in your group deserves some kind of award, and you can make a list of each one's accomplishments on a card, even though they may not complete the whole test. If you are not a qualified instructor, and if you have a child in your group who can pass this test, you might wish to get in touch with an authorized swimming instructor and make arrangements with him to have the child receive a national award. Or you may look upon the test as being excellent review and may not feel that any special awards need be given the children.

THE TEST

In Shallow Water:

1. Hold breath to the count of ten, and exhale.
   
   
2. Hold breath to the count of ten with the face in the water; lift face; blow out air.
   
   
3. Do a cork float to the count of ten. Regain footing properly.
   
   
4. Do a face-down float to the count of ten. Regain footing properly.
   
   
5. In a correct glide position, push off from the side of the pool, glide for ten seconds, regain footing properly.
   
   
6. In a correct glide position, push off from the side of the pool, and kick a distance of fifteen feet.
   
   
7. In a correct glide position, push off from the side of the pool, and use the arms only for fifteen feet. No kicking.
   
   
8. Holding on to railing, push off on back, glide for five seconds, regain footing properly.
   
   
9. Holding on to railing, push off on back, glide with the kick for five seconds, regain footing properly.
   
   
10. Holding on to railing, push off on back, glide with the finning movement for five seconds (no kicking), regain footing properly.
    
    
11. Use the whole back stroke, i.e., finning and kicking, for the distance of fifteen feet.
    
    
12. In water chest-deep, recover an object from the bottom of the pool.
    
    
13. From a sitting glide from the top step, or a sitting dive from the deck, swim twenty feet on one breath.
    
    
14. Using the correct wall position, facing the side with head out of water, kick feet near the surface for fifteen seconds.
    
    
15. Using the correct wall position, repeat rotary breathing tea times.
    
    
16. Walk in water with hands on the knees, using rotary breathing ten times.
    
    
17. From a glide position, use the whole stroke and swim twenty feet, getting at least two breaths.
    
    
18. From a glide position, swim under water at least ten feet, pulling with the arms. (Remind them how they used to swim under water between your legs, in Lesson IV; tell them to pretend they are going down to bring up a rock, but instead of coming up immediately, to swim along the bottom of the pool.)
    
    
19. Swim in a semicircle, starting from the side, out about ten feet, and making a gradual turn to end up over in the corner. (See turns, Lesson VII.)
    
    
20. In a glide position, push off, using both arms and legs, swim ten feet, turn and swim to other side of pool on back. (See Lesson VII.) Turn from front to back.
    
    
21. In a glide position, push off, using both arms and legs, swim ten feet, pull legs through, and return to starting place swimming on back. (See Lesson VII for changing direction.)
    
    
22. Bob ten times.
    
    
23. Using a one-knee dive from the deck, dive for distance; i.e., see how far child can get on the glide, using no arms or legs

 
In Deep Water:

1. Cork float for ten seconds.
   
   
2. Face-down float for ten seconds.
   
   
3. Swim width of pool, getting at least two breaths.
   
   
4. Tread water for at least ten seconds.
   
   
5. Make a standing dive into deep water and climb out of pool properly.
   
   
6. Jump into deep water, swim twenty-five feet, turn, and swim back to starting point.

Or for the good back swimmers: Jump into deep water, swim twenty-five feet, tread water, and swim all the way back on your back.

After these ten lessons, there is still much to do. The challenges become greater, and in some ways they become different. A child of five will begin to learn the competitive swimming strokes (free style, breast stroke, back stroke and butterfly). He will try these strokes experimentally and intermittently and should be encouraged to practice them. And without particular pushing, he will begin to adapt these strokes and swim them naturally. A compulsive concern about form is not appropriate to this stage of a child's swimming.

If your child has found that he wants to swim, you might look around for a class in synchronized swimming or encourage him to join the team at the Y or at the Elks' Pool or start a swimming club in your own neighborhood. As more and more families build their own pools, and more and more swimming clubs are started, more and more children not especially good at other sports will find that they can swim easily and gracefully. These lessons are intended, above all, to create this feeling of ease and mobility in the water. If your child's initiation to the water creates this feeling, his interest in swimming will, very likely, be lifelong.

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