Improving our Learn to Swim

4/21/2008

In every learn to swim progression, there is a place where swimmers are learning to use their arms in a continuous fashion, with recovery above the water. Typically this is done without taking a breath.

One of the key points in learning to swim is to establish a swimming “rhythm” that the breathing can fit into. A “tool” from the competitive swimming world can be very helpful at this point.

The tool is called a Tempo Trainer, and is available from the FINIS equipment company, for a very reasonable cost. I’d advise each learn to swim program to invest in 3-4 of these.

The use is simple. Set the timing device (no more difficult than setting your digital wristwatch) for somewhere between 1.5 and 2.0 seconds per cycle. (2.0 for the newest swimmers, 1.5 for the best of your learn to swim students.) and ask them to have their right (or left) hands enter the water every time they hear the “beep” from the timer. The Tempo Trainer attached to their goggle strap right behind the ear and sits on the headbone and can be clearly heard by the swimmer.

This will give them a cycle (two armstrokes) every 2.0 seconds, a very good tempo to “learn at”. Later, they can progress down to 1.5 seconds for two strokes, which is actually a nice racing tempo for a 10 and under swimmer. Having the sound que is the best way to inculcate good rhythm into their stroke, and it has the added benefit of being FUN!

In the next step, they can maintain use of the Tempo Trainer when learning to roll their body to the side and get a breath and maintain a good steady rhythm then as well.

All the Best, John Leonard

3/24/2008

One of the key items in good teaching of anything is the “connection” between the teacher and the student. In learn to swim, coaches/teachers can improve this connection in several ways:

1. Learn and USE the child’s name on a regular basis. (3-5 times per ½ hour session.)
2. Get down to eye level when speaking. Be eye to eye with the child, either on land on or in the water. “looking up” to learn is not the best way to do things. Make it easy...eye to eye.
3. Use language that is easy for the child to understand. Don’t make “what does she mean by that?” be a barrier.
4. Ask the child a few questions about what they like away from the pool. Learn just a little bit about them....do they have brothers and sisters? pets? do they have a pool at their home?
   What is their favorite TV show? Why? Don’t pry, but learn a little bit about the person...sometimes you can relate that to the teaching/learning experience.
5. YOU run the lesson. The child needs a teacher, not a peer. Your confidence that they can learn to swim will transfer to the child. Don’t “ask”. Say “this is what we’re doing next” and stick to it. Be gentle, but firm in what you are doing next. Children today are excellent manipulators or adults. You run the show. Their life depends on it.

3/17/2008

The fastest way to improve your teaching is also the most painful. Get someone you know to video tape you when you are not aware that they are doing so, then go home and study it.

What does your “aspect” say to your students? What does your face say? Does your look match your words? What about your body language? Are you “too scary”? Are you too listless?

Do you portray and exude energy? Are you smiling? Do you look students in the eye? Nothing can be done without enthusiasm. You have to transfer your enthusiasm for learning to swim to your students.

What about those days when you’re tired and you don’t feel enthusiastic? You have two choices. You can “be a kid” and give in to the tired and say “i just don’t feel like it”. Or, you can be an adult and overcome......”fake it till you make it”. Amazingly, if you put a smile on your face and “fake enthusiasm” for just a few minutes, you will indeed become more enthusiastic. You just can’t sulk with a smile on your face. An adult, a professional, focuses on the child...the reason to be in the pool teaching...and does whatever it takes to make the lesson a good one. You are incredibly important to that child. If you are a “kid” you can focus on the child instead of yourself and become an adult, and a professional. JL

3/3/2008

Boys - The New York Times Magazine on Sunday, March 2, had a very extensive article on the differences in teaching boys and teaching girls. It is highly relevant to Learn to Swim.

The primary point that we care about is that boys are ACTIVE learners. If they aren't moving, they rarely learn. They don't learn best by listening, unless they are listening while they are moving.

They don't learn well with direct eye contact. They learn standing NEXT to the instructor, not across from the instructor. Eye contact at the same time they are trying to process information does not work. They have to "go blank" visually, in order to learn by listening. Best it to listen WHILE moving.

For boys, learning while sitting still on the steps of the pool, just won't work very well.

Girls, conversely, will listen while eye contact is being made. They are well designed to "sit still and listen." They may NOT be as good at learning while moving. The moving may distract them from the listening.

And they do better watching first, then imitating. Boys will want to try it immediately. Girls want to see it done a few times, since they "absorb more" of the information at one time than the boys do.

The bottom line of the article was that ideal learning situations for boys are not ideal for girls, and vice versa. We may not be able to gender separate our classed, but we can be gender aware when we are teaching....of what works best for each gender. JL

2/25/2008

Our topic this week is a simple one: Effective Demonstrations.

First, remember that today's children are uniformly best at VISUAL LEARNING. The environment in which they have grown up (computers, TV, Video Games) is entirely visually based. Many experienced instructors will tell you that without a doubt, the current generation of children is the least able of any in memory to assimilate verbal instructions....and i shudder to think what might happen with written instructions.

So you have to SHOW them.......with as few words as possible.

Now, what are the best ways to show them?

First, all of us want to be like “the big kids”.

To a seven year old, the big kid is nine. Not 15. A fifteen year old looks like an adult to a seven year old.

So your first best option is to do a demonstration with a same age, or slightly older child. Seeing someone of their own size and body type do the skill relates to the learner much better than anything else.

The second best option is for the instructor themselves to provide the demonstration. This is far better than no demonstration and should always be done if there is not a child in the class who can perform adequately.

The teaching language goes like this.

“Class, we’re now going to learn about pushing off the wall, streamlining and kicking.”

“Sally, will you show the class what a streamline looks like? Good, Thank you. Everyone see that? OK, on three, everyone up into a streamline while you stand on the bottom” One, two, three.....Good!”

“Now, we start in the front ready position. Sean show us a front ready position....Good, thank you, nicely done. Everyone now, front ready position”.

“We’re going to follow Sally now, and here is what we are going to do...Front ready position, READY, GO, then streamline underwater and kick to the surface” Sally? Ready, GO! Good, Great demonstration. Everyone see that? Ok, group one going, group 2 watching, group one, front ready position....Ready, Go!”

“Group two, following Sean...Sean, front ready position, READY, GO!....Good, everyone now, Group two.......”

It should be fast paced, action oriented, keep things moving. Demonstration, practice, demonstration, practice, etc. No breaks, no pauses, make the children strain to pay attention and “keep up”.

If someone is failing to keep up, let them sit and watch “for a moment” until they can see the pattern of what you are doing. Then they are right back into the action.

Children learn by seeing, then doing.........Demonstration, then practice.

Thanks for attending to this need. All the best, JL

2/18/2008

I would like the following to be done to improve our lessons operation.

1. Issue: We have too many inactive children at any given moment. We solve this by dividing the group with each instructor into two groups and each does an activity “together”. “OK, 1’s are bobbing. 10 bobs. Ready Go. 2’s, front ready position, streamline, glide and stand up. Ready. Go.” Then push off the bottom, glide back to the wall. Now, 1’s glide, 2’s bob. NO ONE STANDS AND WATCHES! The goal is all children actively learning all the time. Keep the whole class in front of you all the time so you can see them for safety. With only a very few exceptions, everyone can stand, so this will work. SHOW THEM how to reverse their hands and stand up. Put the shortest in the shallowest water.

2. Issue: Lack of demonstrations. Kids today learn by WATCHING and SEEING, not be listening to words. DEMONSTRATE FOR THEM, EVERYTHING YOU WANT DONE. Over and over again. Once you have demonstrated a few times, use the best student...like this.... “OK, we’re going to do a back pushoff and float. I want everyone watching Shawna....back ready position, ready, Go!....everyone see? Now, lets go. back ready position, 1’s ready, Go! (they go, then stand up, then push off the bottom and go back...) Now, 2’s, back ready position, Ready, Go! and repeat. We need a lot more action and a lot less talking. We need a lot more demonstration and a lot less talking. They learn by doing. Get them DOING a lot more. Thanks. John