Practice makes perfect – The more you do something, the better at it you become. Everybody knows the idiom!
But parents forget it when it comes to how their kids learn to swim. The majority of parents think swimming lessons are the only way for kids to learn. But is there anything that's actually special about swimming lessons that help kids learn:
- Does the coach really make a big difference?
- How about one-on-one attention in a private class?
- Maybe it's the other kids in the group lesson?
No! No! No!
And once you understand how kids actually learn to swim, you'll see how swimming lessons are a slower way to learn.
Learning has always been about exposure and practice – especially for young kids learning how to swim. Kids just need to do it! The more they do, the faster they learn.
Swimming lessons don't give kids enough time to actually practice swimming. Let me explain – swimming lessons are typically only 30-minutes once a week -- usually in groups of 3 to 4 kids -- where kids practice 3 to 5 different skills every class.
How much practice can your kids really get?
The answer is - not enough.
In a typical group swim lesson, your child will only get around 7.5 to 10 minutes of personalized instruction and practice. And then that time is going to be split between learning 3 to 5 skills. Which is like 1 to 2 minutes of practice time per skill.
Does this pass the basic smell test? Does it smell right to you?
Even if your kid ends up with the world's best coach – that's not enough time! You know how long it takes your child to master new and complex skills. Would you ever only give them 1 to 2 minutes a week to practice a new skill?
And P.S. I've seen great coaches and incompetent coaches both able to teach kids how to swim. Yes, kids learn to swim faster with great coaches – but not by much! Because practice time matters more than the coach!
How kids learn to swim?
If you want your child to learn to swim as quickly as possible, it's Exposure! Exposure! Exposure!
And you can easily do that yourself in your own backyard or community pool! Before you say, "I don't know how to do that" or "I can't teach my kid to swim," – let me show you how easy it is! All you have to do is:
- Go to the pool!
- Put your kid in a Life Jacket (TYR Progressive Training Aid)
- And let them play!
That's it. The water is every child's best coach! If your child doesn't move right, they won't go anywhere in the water. When they start moving right, they will.
Kids figure that out immediately and make the changes needed to swim better spontaneously – without coaching!
We call this way of learning Swim Discovery™
Swim Discovery™ is the quickest, easiest, safest, and most affordable way for your child to learn to swim! You can even do it for free in your own backyard or community pool!
Kids doing Swim Discovery™ swim an average of 300% more during the same 30-minute window as they would in a swim lesson! Plus, since you'll be on your own time, you can swim a lot longer if you want. And all that exposure means your child is going to learn a heck of a lot faster!
You need to know this about the TYR Life Jacket: it's built specifically for kids learning how to swim! Unlike standard Life Jackets, the TYR Progressive Training Aid allows us to remove flotation as your child gets stronger and more skilled in the water. We only give them as much flotation support as they need – and no more – until they don't need it anymore at all. It's brilliant!
If you want some help, we'll hold your hand and walk with you every step of the way – Become a member at SwimAble Kid for only $20/month!
SwimAble Kid Members get:
- New games every week – designed around "purposeful play" that help your child learn essential swimming skills like paddle swimming, breath control, jumping in, and swimming with toys.
- Personalized Tips – what you need, when you need it, based on where your child is in their learning
- Members-Only Group – direct access to Jim and Jeff the entire time and a very supportive community of parents using Swim Discovery™ with their kids.
- Exclusive access to our 60-Second Virtual Swim Test – we use it to personalize everything we send you!
Watch this video to learn more about Swim Discovery™:
If you need even more of a reason to give Swim Discovery™ a try -- check out our blog: “3 Reasons Your Child Doesn’t Need Swim Lessons This Summer!”