Hudson Community Services: Community Education, School Age Care, Summer Programs

Ages 5+ Objective: To learn basic personal water safety information and skills, to help participants feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safely. Participants are taught elementary aquatic skills and start developing positive attitudes, good swimming habits and safe practices in and around the water. Exit Skills Assessment: When participants complete the Learn-to-Swim Level 1, they should be comfortable getting in and moving through the water and be willing to put their faces in the water repeatedly. Participants should also be able to use arm and leg movements while supported. There are two parts to the exit skills assessment. Enter independently, using either the ladder, steps or side, travel at least 5 yards, bob 3 times then safely exit the water. (Participants can walk, travel along the gutter or “swim”.) Glide on front at least 2 body lengths, roll to a back float for 3 seconds and recover to a vertical position. (This assessment can be performed with support)

Ages 5+ Objective: To provide participants with fundamental skills. Participants learn to float without support and to recover to a vertical position. This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills. Participants further develop simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back that lay the foundation for future strokes. Exit Skills Assessment: When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 2, they should be increasingly confident in the water. Participants are starting to swim independently using arm and leg movements, but may still need assistance when taking a breath. There are 3 parts to the exit skills assessment, all are performed independently. Step from pool side into chest-deep water, move into a front float for 5 seconds, roll to back, float for 5 seconds then return to a vertical position. Move into a back float for 5 seconds, roll to front then recover to a vertical position. Push off and swim using a combined arm and leg action on front for 5 body lengths, roll to back, float for 15 seconds, roll to front then continue swimming for 5 body lengths

Ages 5+ Objective: To build on previously learned skills by providing additional guided practice. Participants are taught survival float, swim the front crawl and elementary backstroke. Scissor and dolphin kicks are introduced and build on the fundamentals of treading water, learn rules for headfirst entry. Exit Skills Assessment: When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 3, they are starting to show stroke proficiency in the front and elementary backstroke. They demonstrate comfort in deep water and can enter the water headfirst from both sitting and kneeling positions. There is one part of the exit skills assessment - Jump into deep water from the side, swim front crawl for 15 yards, maintain position by treading or floating for 30 seconds and swim elementary backstroke for 15 yards.

Ages 5+ Objective: To develop participants’ confidence in the strokes learned thus far and to improve other aquatic skills. In level 4 participants’ improve their skills and increase their endurance by swimming familiar strokes (front crawl, elementary backstroke) for greater distance. Participants add the arms to the scissors kick for the sidestroke. Participants also start to learn the back crawl, breaststroke and butterfly and the basics of turning at a wall. Exit Skills Assessment: When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 4, they are starting to demonstrate effective and efficient strokes in the front crawl and elementary backstroke. They are starting to show stroke proficiency in the breaststroke, back crawl, butterfly and sidestroke. They can enter the water headfirst from both compact and stride positions. There are two parts to the exit skill assessment: Perform a feet-first entry into deep water, swim front crawl for 25 yards, change direction and position as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 25 yards. Swim breaststroke 15 yards, change direction and position as necessary and swim back crawl for 15 yards.