UKC

How long should it take for a 4/5 year old child to learn to swim while going to weekly classes?

In reply to aln:

It takes time, ....6- 12 months to see real progress. Patience is a virtue (but it is a bit mindnumbing to say the least...

In reply to Heike:


Really? I'm fairly sure that 40 odd years ago my dad had me splashing around on my own in a couple of months. After nearly a year of supposedly professional lessons my son is still hanging on to a noodle.

In reply to aln:
We found that the group sessions were not much use. 30 mins of next to no supervision leads to slow progress and poor technique .
Child 1 had these lessons and was disadvantaged later on.
Child 2 we gave private lessons for 45 mins a week at £14.
She has progressed to a cheaper group session that is monitored by better instructors, so it has turned out cheaper and more effective in the long run.
Don't forget to get them reconditioned to the fear of putting their head under. This slows progression in classes.
Also, take them yourselves for a splash. They may not practice technique , but water is fun.

In reply to aln:

I think its like any skill it needs practise between lessons.

Is it that he is holding on due to fear of the water? Maybe if there is a pool you can take him to that is shallow enough for him to stand in and play that might help?

In reply to marsbar:
It depends - for some two weeks, for some two years it is very variable.

However, "to learn" is elastic - by this I take you mean "to learn well enough to swim out of most likely drowning hazards", because you can carry on learning for a lot longer after that!

Don't put up with crappy lessons though. Swimming is one of the few physical skills that is really compulsory to learn, but, just because it is compulsory, it doesn't mean it shouldn't be a pleasure.

In reply to aln:


I use to teach swimming as a volunteer with my old club. I looked after the baby pool and took them from not swimming to 25 m. They would be with me for about 6 months.

It depends on the teachers, it's more about encouraging them than knowing how to teach swimming. You learn the strokes in the big pool, in the small pool it's stamina and overcoming fear.

My son started swimming classes at 3 months and he's 20 months now. Still can't swim on his own - lazy bugger.

In reply to aln:

I don't think there is an average time, they start swimming when it all comes together for them. Our 6 year old grandson wasn't really progressing with his lessons so when we went on holiday we had a villa with a pool and rather than trying to teach him to swim we just played water polo and games in the pool - he was swimming in two days - he lost his fear of the water and just enjoyed playing. It's a lovely moment to see them achieve something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In reply to Dave the Rave:

>group sessions were not much use. 30 mins of next to no supervision leads to slow progress and poor technique .

That's basically the situation I'm describing. I think we'll do what you did, private lessons coupled with staying at the group because he enjoys that and has friends there.

In reply to duchessofmalfi:


Exactly. At the moment I doubt he could.