Swimming safety techniques and procedures are important to know to ensure the safety of your children around the swimming pool. According to Dr. Christopher Tolcher of the American Academy of Pediatrics, "Recent studies in kids from 1 to 5 years old show that taking swimming lessons can reduce their risk of drowning." In Northern Illinois, numerous universities, parks and private pool maintenance companies offer Red Cross certified swimming lessons for kids, and advanced aquatic training is also offered to older kids.
General Kids' Curriculum
Like most other learning activities, children's swimming education is typically broken down into a number of skill levels. Children start with basic introduction to pool safety procedures before entering the pool and beginning physical swim instruction. The Department Of Athletics and Recreation at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, adheres to this concept and offers an extensive six-level course in swimming to children ages 4 through 12. The Red Cross-certified course levels include introduction to water skills, fundamental aquatic skills, stroke development, stroke improvement, stroke refinement and is concluded with lessons in swimming and skill proficiency.
Early/Infant Swim Lessons
Though the American Academy of Pediatrics does not support infant swim lessons, many children's swim instructors believe that infants as young as 6 months old can benefit from early training techniques. According to Cathryn Van Der Linden--an infant swimming resource instructor--infants have the capability to "roll onto their back to float, rest and breath. Then they flip back over onto their tummy." In Northern Illinois infant swim lessons can be taken at the North Suburban YMCA. The aquatic center at the Y offers a program for infants 6 through 24 months to explore an aquatic environment and prepare for future swim lessons while accompanied by a parent.
Parent-Tot Lessons
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "Formal swimming instruction for toddlers and preschoolers age 1 to 4 may help prevent drowning." Most aquatic programs in Northern Illinois offer family oriented "Parent and Tot" swim instruction. Whether you choose to participate in lessons at an Illinois YMCA or college or university, parents with children under 4 or 5 years old can enroll in a number of certified swim programs with their toddlers. Children receive professional instruction from trained swimming personnel while being accompanied by a parent in anywhere from 4 to 15 feet of water. Platforms are often used in the shallow end to enable tots to stand in 2 feet of water or less.
Kid's Group Lessons
Some northern Illinois aquatic centers offer kids' group swimming classes that do not require parental supervision. The DuPage Swimming Center is a full-service pool maintenance company that offers a wide variety of pool and pool safety services to northern Illinois residents. Among their many programs is a group swimming class open to children over 3 years of age. Parents are not required to attend the classes, and the student-teacher ratio is four to one. Feedback sessions are provided to parents on a regular basis to assess your child's strengths, weaknesses and progress.
Lifeguard Certification Training
The DuPage Swimming Center also offers lifeguard services to spas, health clubs, park districts and apartment or condominium complexes. The program is called Pool Guards Inc. and serves northern Illinois residents and swimming facilities. The Red Cross-approved program accepts applicants as young as 15 to participate in lifeguard training. Upon completion of the course and successfully passing the lifeguard exam, adults and teens receive official certification allowing them to work as lifeguards. All students who receive certification become eligible to apply for a lifeguard position within the DuPage Swimming Center's Pool Guards program.
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