Next steps: Maintaining life saving skills

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Swimming is a sensori-motor skill, just like learning how to crawl, walk or ride a bike..Once your child's body has been taught the ISR self-rescue sequence, they will not forget it! However, just like any other sensori-motor skill, the less it is practiced the rustier it gets. Practice makes perfect!

 

There are two options for continuing lessons with your child: maintenance or refresher lessons.

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MAINTENANCE LESSONS - one lesson/week or biweekly
 

Maintenance Lessons are designed to fine-tune your child's skills or to prevent problems from developing in your child's technique. After completion of the initial ISR lessons, your child may develop unwanted habits out of regular play time in the pool. For example, your child may begin to swim farther without rolling over for breath or may try swimming with her head out of water. Some habits formed from normal exploration in the water may begin to affect your child's ability to swim and float. Maintenance lessons keep skills sharp and allow children to grow their skills with their ever growing bodies!

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REFRESHER LESSONS - semi-annually to annually
 

If not in maintenance lessons, ISR recommends that all students, especially between the ages of 12 months and 4 years, return to an ISR Instructor once a year for refresher lessons. Refresher lessons usually last about half of the time it took the child to become fully skilled the first season.

Children grow physically, emotionally, and mentally very quickly in the first six years of their lives. Their center of gravity will change as their limbs become longer and their concept of water changes as their brains become more advanced.

Refresher lessons help children assimilate their new bodies and minds to the skills they previously learned so they can continue to swim safely and effectively. It is important to remember that your child does not "forget" the skills acquired with ISR. However, most children are not regularly in the water in the winter and during this extended period of time your child will mature mentally and physically. Refresher Lessons are designed to help your child adjust his/her swim and float to his/her new more mature body and mind and to reinforce his/her confidence in the water.