Youth Learn-to-Swim Course Descriptions

Ages 6 mos. to 18 mos.

For children who have little or no previous water experiences. 

The purpose of this course is to help develop swimming readiness. Parents and their children will be led in water exploration activities with the objective of having fun and becoming comfortable with the water.  Children with two or more previous sessions in the water who submerge only reluctantly (or not at all) or require flotation support at all times should enroll in Parent & Child Level B.

Ages 18 mos. to 5 yrs.

For children who have little or no previous water experiences. 

The purpose of this course is to help develop swimming readiness by leading parents and their children in water exploration activities with the objective of having fun and becoming comfortable in, on and around the water.  Children ready to learn without a parent or caregiver should enroll in an appropriate Learn-to-Swim Level.

Ages 3 yrs. and up

The purpose of this course is to help students become comfortable in the water.

Level 1 participants learn to:

• Enter and exit water safely
• Submerge mouth, nose and eyes
• Exhale underwater through mouth and nose
• Open eyes underwater, pick up submerged object
• Change direction while walking or paddling
• Roll over from front to back and back to front with support
• Explore floating on front and back with support
• Explore swimming on front and back using arm and leg actions with support
• Use a life jacket

Level 1 participants receive a Raffy Learns to Swim full-color booklet that reinforces learning and provides parents with additional information about their child's progress.

Ages 3 yrs. and up

The purpose of this course is to give students success with fundamental skills.

Level 2 participants learn to:

• Enter water by stepping or jumping from the side
• Exit water safely using ladder or side
• Submerge entire head
• Blow bubbles submerging head in a rhythmic pattern (bobbing)
• Open eyes underwater, pick up a submerged object in shallow water
• Float on front and back
• Perform front and back glide
• Change direction of travel paddling on front or back
• Roll over from front to back, back to front
• Tread water using arm and leg motions (chest-deep water)
• Swim on front, back, and side using combined arm and leg actions
• Move in the water while wearing a life jacket

Level 2 participants receive a Raffy Learns to Swim full-color booklet that reinforces learning and provides parents with additional information about their child's progress.

The purpose of this course is to build on the skills learned in Level 2 through additional guided practice.

Level 3 participants learn to:

• Jump into deep water from the side
• Dive from kneeling or standing position
• Submerge and retrieve an object in chest deep water
• Bob with the head fully submerged
• Rotary breathing in horizontal position
• Perform front and back glide using two different kicks
• Float on front and back in deep water
• Change from horizontal to vertical position on front and back
• Tread water using hand and leg movements
• Perform front and back crawl
• Butterfly-kick and body motion
• Perform the HELP and Huddle position

Level 3 participants receive a Waddles in the Deep full-color booklet that reinforces class instruction to help swimmers develop confidence in their strokes and improve other aquatic skills.

The purpose of this course is to develop confidence in the skills learned and improve other aquatic skills.

Level 4 participants learn to:

• Perform a dive from a standing or stride position
• Swim underwater
• Perform feet-first surface dive
• Perform open turns on front and back
• Tread water using sculling arm motions and with different kicks
• Perform the following:
• Front and back crawl
• Breaststroke
• Butterfly
• Elementary backstroke
• Swim on side using scissors-like kick
• Perform compact jump into water from a height while wearing a life jacket

Level 4 participants receive a Waddles in the Deep full-color booklet that reinforces class instruction to help swimmers develop confidence in their strokes and improve other aquatic skills.

The purpose of this course is to provide further coordination and refinement of strokes.

Level 5 participants learn to perform the following:

• Standing dive
• Shallow dive, glide two body lengths and begin any front stroke
• Tuck and Pike surface dive
• Front flip turn and Backstroke flip turn
• Front and back crawl
• Butterfly
• Breaststroke
• Elementary backstroke
• Sidestroke
• Survival swimming
• Tread water with two different kicks

American Red Cross Level 6 classes are offered in the following specializations:

• Fundamentals of Diving
• Fitness Swimmer
• Lifeguard Readiness
• Personal Water Safety

In addition to learning about the particular specialization, participants increase endurance while performing front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, and sidestroke.  Participants demonstrate the front crawl open turn, backstroke open turn, sidestroke open turn, front flip turn, backstroke flip turn, and butterfly and breaststroke turns.