New Swimmers 3 Years Old and Up
The proven I CAN SAVE MYSELF learn-to-swim method consists of 3 clear goals for new swimmers. On average, students 3 years old and older accomplish our 3 goals in 10 (30 min) private swim lessons.
3 Goals for New Swimmers
1) Survival Stroke with a Minimum of 3 Independent-Reliable Breaths
2) Back-Float with Kicks
3) How to SAVE YOURSELF if you fall into the pool. The last lesson the student will jump in the pool fully clothed to demonstrate they can SAVE THEMSELVES!
Lessons at Bullfrog Swim School may be taken 1-5x a week, depending on how fast of a course you wish to take. Home lessons require a minimum of 2x a week to be completed by the end of the season. Swim lessons are private, but you can share with a friend/sibling and split the cost. Shared lessons are not recommended for resistant students. If any students in a shared lesson are 9 years old or younger, swim lessons are split 15 minutes per child. Only 2 students may share a lesson per 30 minute lesson.
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I CAN SAVE MYSELF TESTS
At the last lessons, students jump in the pool fully clothed to demonstrate they can SAVE THEMSELVES if they fell in the pool. Show up with heavy clothes over the student's swim suit. The test is at the beginning of the lessons.
Parents find great relief knowing their child will be able to get out of the pool fast if they were to fall in, even while wearing heavy clothes. That's one of the reasons why we are your best choice for swim lessons. Check out our Facebook and Instagram for videos of our success. Bullfrog Swim School works and we have the videos to prove it!
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Swim Lesson for 2 Years and Younger
The I CAN SAVE MYSELF learn to swim method has modified expectations for students 2 years old and under (infants must be able to walk 20 feet to be able to enroll in swim lessons). Swim lessons for walking infants and 2-year-olds still work on achieving our 3 Goals for new swimmers, but parents need to be realistic on expectations for such young swimmers. You most likely will need to follow up these lessons with a refresher course next year.
3 Goals for 2 Year Olds and Younger
- Swimmming with independent breaths- Although many of our 2 year olds and under do learn to take breaths on their own, many do not. What is more typical is a student 2 years old and younger can swim as far as they can hold their breath.
- Backfloating with Kicks- This goal is simple for any age.
- Save Yourself- If your student can catch on to how to hold their breath we can get them to learn to SAVE THEMSELVES!
We do not offer parent and me lessons during our regular swim season. Our studies show young students achieve greater success when parents stay out of sight than those students whose parents are in the pool. During our Premier Off Season Services in Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, the owner of Bullfrog Swim School does offer some group parent and me swim lessons personally. She will teach you how to teach your children to swim!
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Basic Stroke Introduction
Once a student accomplishes our 3 goals for new swimmers, they have the option to enroll in another set of lessons to prepare them for the swim team. Basic Stroke Introduction is offered to students 3 years old to adults. They will learn the basic movements of each stroke and endurance which will prepare them for swim club / swim team which will refine their strokes. For intermediate stroke development students we recommend joining one of the amazing local swim clubs in town. We offer a non competitive swim team during our Premier Off Season services in Jan/Feb/Sept/Oct/Nov.
Goals for Basic Stroke Introduction
- Freestyle w/Side Breath
- Backstroke
- Breast Stroke
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- Butterfly
- Flip Turns
- Treading Water
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Adult New Swimmers
It's never too late to learn how to swim. We teach hundreds of adults each year! We have a modified version of our method for adults. They will have 1 Goal.....to swim across the pool taking independent-reliable breaths. If they accomplish that goal before the 10 lessons are completed, they may learn the four basic strokes. Lessons are private, but adult swim students may share with a friend for no extra charge. We recommend 10 (30 minute) lessons for adults. Adult lessons are only offered at our facility, not home lessons, for safety reasons. For the best experience, we recommend taking lessons during our Premier Off Season Services in Jan, Feb, Sept, Oct, Nov. During our Premier Off Season services we can guarentee you will not be in the pool with children and most of the times you can have the whole pool to yourself!
Premier Off Season Services
Bullfrog Swim School's season is March to October. After our season is over we offer our Premier Off Season Services Jan, Feb, Oct, and Nov. These are services we are unable to provide during our regular swim lesson season. These services include lessons with the owner of Bullfrog Swim School and the creator of the proven I Can Save Myself learn-to swim method, Darla Bartell (1 to 5 year old new swimmers and adult new swimmers only). Other services include adult only hours, Bullfrog Swim Team, and parent and me swim lessons. If you are interested in receiving information about our Premier Off Season Services, please send us an email that you are interested. bullfrogswimschool@gmail.com.
________________________________________________________________________ Approach to Hesitant and Resistant Students
We offer a detailed and thoughtful approach to swim instruction, considering both the emotional well-being of the students and the importance of acquiring vital swimming skills.
- Practice Submerging Before Lessons: Encourage students to practice breath control in the bathtub by putting their faces underwater and holding their breath and/or blowing bubbles. Offer instant rewards like marshmallows or MnMs to reinforce the behavior after each time they submerge their own head underwater.
- Submersion in First Lesson: All new swimmers are submerged during the first lesson to acclimatize them to being underwater.
- Second Lessons: The second lesson, students usually show the most hesistation and tears. This is normal and expected. On average, resistant students become familiar with the routine and instructor by the end of the third lesson. For best results, please be out of site so your child does not spend the whole lessons calling out for you. It is apporpriate to sit pool side once your child does not have tears during lessons.
- Instructor Handoff: If a student is resistant to getting into the pool, parents are to hand them directly to the instructor in the water. This is a signal to your child that you trust the instrucor.
- Finish the Full 30 Minute Lesson: For best results, do not end lessons early. We do not want students to believe that fussing will result in the lessons ending early.
- Emotional Support: We acknowledge the emotional difficulty for parents but emphasize the importance of swim lessons is for the safety of your young child. Most tears are not due to fear of water but rather being unfamiliar with the instructor and the routine. By continuing the lessons, your child will start to bond to their instructor and get familiarized with the routine. Tears are very common during the first few lessons of younger swimmers.
- Feedback and Progress: Contact the swim office after the fourth lesson if you have any questions about the progress of your lessons.
- Parental Involvement: For resistant students, stay out of sight during the first few lessons to prevent increased anxiety. Avoid discussing swimming lessons between sessions until the child starts enjoying them.
- Timely Arrival: Arrive only a few minutes early to your lesson to prevent anxiety from watching other students who may be struggling. Also, do not arrive late to prevent your child from feeling anxious and rushed.
- Avoid Over-Practicing: Avoid practicing swimming between lessons until the child starts enjoying it. While at home, allow them to enjoy the water on their own terms.
By following these guidelines, parents and instructors can create a positive learning environment where students can develop essential swimming skills with confidence and enjoyment.
