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

Ages 5+ Objective: Coordination and refinement of strokes. Participants refine their performance of all the strokes (front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke and side stroke) and increase their distances. Flip turns on the front and back are also introduced. Exit Skills Assessment: When participants complete Learn-to-Swim Level 5, they are starting to demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency in all strokes. They are starting to work on endurance through longer swims that require using open and flip turns. They can enter the water using the shallow-angle dive and can then continue swimming. There are two parts to the exit skills assessment: Perform a shallow dive into deep water, swim front crawl 50 yards, change direction and position of travel as necessary and swim elementary backstroke for 50 yards. Swim breaststroke for 25 yards, change direction and position of travel as necessary and swim back crawl for 25 yards.

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.