How many lessons will my child need?
Unfortunately it's impossible to tell you how many lessons your child is going to need, each child is different.
Fearless children will often readily accept unfamiliar situations, they are happy to try new challenges with enthusiasm; provided these children have enough time in the water they often learn to swim more rapidly than their cautious peers.
Some children are more cautious, they need time to carefully check out new surroundings and new people before joining in. It might take them a number of weeks before they feel comfortable in their swimming lessons.
Of course lot’s of children fall somewhere between the two.
Whatever your child’s personality and temperament, with plenty of time in the water and lots of understanding and encouragement your child will learn to swim.
It’s unfair to compare the progress of your child with siblings and other children. Children develop in uneven stages; it’s not unusual for them to reach different stages of maturation at similar chronological ages. For example, a six year old might show the growth and development of a four to five year old or an eight to nine year old. This can make a huge difference initially, but rest assured with time and practice all children can learn to swim.
How to teach so children remember ....
Short Term Memory really is very short
Did you know short term memory only retains information for around two seconds before moving into active working memory or being forgotten. So when you ask a child to swim a "torpedo" (streamlined position with arms extended out the front), those directions are going to stick around in his short term memory just long enough for him to remember to submerge his face in the water in preparation for the torpedo.
Some children have a short term memory that leaks, so they forget things they’ve just heard or seen. By the time they’ve dived in or pushed off the wall, they’ve forgotten they were supposed to be swimming a torpedo.
We can help children retain short term memory data for a little longer by using the following rehearsal strategies:
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Can learning to swim really help develop a child’s maths ability?
Absolutely! Children in swim lessons are repeatedly exposed to real life “maths” situations. Take a look at these examples:
1. Ordinal numbers
First, second, third, fourth etc. Every time we ask a child to go first, second, third or any other number, we’re helping them develop an understanding of how ordinal numbers work.
2. Shapes
When we ask children to make shapes, such as circles and squares, we’re helping them to recognise the different shapes and to develop their ability to understand Geometry.
3. Whole numbers
Children learn about whole numbers when we ask them to dive down and pick up two rings, swim four arms, etc.
4. Measurement
Children in swim lessons have lots of practice at judging distance and depth.
5. Weight
Children are learning about weight when we ask them to stretch up tall and when they experience the resistance and forces of the water.
6. Numbers
Teachers often ask children to think about how many times they have performed a task. As an example:
· How many arms did you swim last time?
· Great effort! You swam more arms this time.
· How many turns on the kickboard have you had?
· Did you pick up more rings from my hand (or the floor of the pool) this time than last time?
All these activities help to develop numeration skills such as greater than and fewer than.
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