
The Infant Swimming Resource
technique and goals are unique. Swimming simply means “to
move through the water”. This definition is very limited to
any movement. This is why ISR emphasizes more than just "swimming
skills" ISR strives to provide a comprehensive SELF-RESCUE
SWIMMING program.
Survival swimming is the ability to move through the water
independently while breathing effortlessly. Effort takes energy, and
children have limited sustainable energy. A child swimming and lifting
his head to breathe is expending great amounts of energy to attain air.
This technique will soon fatigue a child. The rollback to a float to
breathe is effortless offering unlimited rest and air while in the
water, thus equipping the child with aquatic survival skills to
potentially save himself in an emergency situation. Most importantly,
the ISR student will have practiced all the SURVIVAL SWIMMING skills
while fully clothed.
The Rollback-to-Float
Program (Infants 6-12 months old)-
This is a basic survival skill for students who are crawling. He or she
will be taught to rotate from a face-down position in the water to a
back float. The baby will be taught to rest and breathe on his or her
back until help arrives. A child who enrolls in the ISR program as an
infant will learn the correct posture for swimming early which will
facilitate learning at the next level. The typical infant will
approximately 3-4 weeks to attain these skills.
The Swim-Float-Swim
Program (Children 1 year to 6 years old)-
This series of skills is taught to children who have begun walking.
Toddlers are taught to utilize that cross-coordinated motion for
movement through the water. He or she will be taught to swim face down
with eyes open; roll on his or her back to float, rest and breathe when
he or she needs air; and then flip over onto his or her stomach to
continue swimming until he or she reaches a point of safety. This
swim-float-swim sequence can be repeated as many times as is necessary
to reach safety. This skill set can be achieved with 5 lessons per week
in approximately 4-6 weeks.
Infant Swimming Resource uses a unique set of prompts and procedures
designed to teach both the verbal child and the non-verbal infant
survival swimming skills. The technology required to teach an infant to
handle himself in the water is primarily found within sensorimotor learning
and infant psychology and development. The practical application of
this, however, must be custom-tailored to your child's physical
abilities.
In addition to teaching your child, ISR has developed a complete
program of parent education concerning many facets of drowning
prevention. The Parent Resource Guide is available to all parents
registering their children in the program and it includes such topics
as attitude and emotions, physiology and safety before, during and
after the lessons, family aquatic safety and other valuable information.