[Done]

hi there,

after some opinions...

my child has been doing swimming lessons once a week since age 3. We attend the local council pool. the lessons go for half an hour and there is up to 4 in a group.

we have generally had the same teacher for long periods of time, most recent teacher since mid last year, teacher prior to that for 2.5 years.

the year before we did take to one term off, but since Oct 2011 we have been each week. before that we hadn't taken any time off.

lessons only stop for 2 weeks over Christmas.

so basically in over 5 years, week in week out except for one term, child has been in swimming lessons.

considering this, what do you think would be the swimming ability of the child. ie how far should they be able to swim eg 10m, 25m, 50m etc

what strokes should they have learnt by now. eg free style, breath stroke, butterfly, back stroke?

thanks!

[pitzinoodles]

No personal experience with my kids, but from when I taught swimming yonks ago, I'd say an 8 yo with 5yrs of lessons should swim 25m in free and breaststroke and attempt backstroke. Probably only able to do the dolphin kick of fly.

[Lil-Mum]

My 8yo DD has also been swimming since she was a baby.

She can swim 25-50m in freestyle and backstroke, but can't really do much breaststroke yet.


This post has been edited by Lil-Mum: 15/02/2013, 12:14 AM

[whathousework?]

DS (9) hasn't really had swimming lessons since he was a baby and can swim 50m freestyle. Just this week was chosen as first reserve for the school swimming carnival team. DS (7) also hasn't had lessons since he was a baby, and was slower to take to water safety and swimming, but can swim 25m freestyle as at this week. Just throwing it out there for you, OP. We live in a hot area and spend a lot of time outdoors near water. I don't necessarily believe swimming lessons = swimming ability, on it's own. Familiarity with water is the other key ingredient to being both water safe and a good swimmer.

[30bt]

my DD 8 can swim 50 m breastroke, backstroke and freestyle. She has done swimming lessons all year every year. She's never going to be the fastest but she is a strong swimmer!

[Rachel70]

My DS who is 8 graduated from kings swim school last year. He can swim 1km freestyle, and do all other strokes just as well.
We went to swimming lessons every week for 4 years.
My DD is the same.
I would worry that after having lessons for so long your kids still can't swim very far or well.
My DD who is 9 now does squad 3 times a week and swims an hour each time. This is just continuous laps of an Olympic sized pool with stops for guidance from the coach.
We are a family that loves the water and spend a lot of time over summer in the water.

This post has been edited by Rachel70: 15/02/2013, 06:32 AM

[barrington]

No personal experience with my kids, but from when I taught swimming yonks ago, I'd say an 8 yo with 5yrs of lessons should swim 25m in free and breaststroke and attempt backstroke. Probably only able to do the dolphin kick of fly.

My DS (8) who hasn't had swimming lessons since he was a baby, can swim 25 metres of freestyle and breaststroke, but not backstroke. I would rate his swimming ability as average and would have expected someone who has has lessons continuously to be a lot better than my DS.

[mumto3princesses]

Depends on the child.

My twins are 9yrs now and very different. Always have been. They both started at 2yrs 10mths. Usually once a week lessons with the odd 1 week intensive in the holidays.

DD#2 was petrified and still is what her swimming teacher calls a nervous swimmer. While DD#3 had no fear from the start.

At just turned 8yrs DD#2 was swimming 25m freestyle and backstroke. (Other strokes get added as they progress) Went in the school carnival at 8yrs 2mths and swam 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke (2x 25m). She was very nervous and had a teacher on the side telling her how good she was going but she did it. Now at 9yrs and 3mths she can swim 50m without stopping in freestyle or backstroke or breaststroke. Trying to do tumble turns. Very close to going up to the next level which is a mini squad where they do lap after lap of the 25m pool for 45mins and learn dolphin kick. She even manged to come 3rd in 50m backstroke in the school carnival this year.

But then DD#3 at just turned 8yrs was already in the mini squad. At 8yrs swam 50m freestyle in the carnival and came 2nd (had to swim as 9yrs old) and then came 3rd in breastroke and backstroke 50m against 10yr olds as they swim them together. Now at 9yrs is doing squad. Will always swim at least 100m or sometimes 150m without stopping. Learning butterfly. Continous laps of the pool. Breaks are just long enough for coach to say what she wants them to do next and waiting for her turn to go. She's not fast though yet and pretty much the slowest in her class but she just hasn't got the hang of going faster yet and has to be reminded to go faster. She absolutely loves swimming.

This post has been edited by mumto3princesses: 15/02/2013, 06:29 AM

[foxgirls]

I depends on the child. My daughters are 4 and 6. been in lessons for the same amount of time. And this year they are in the same class. 4 year old is just a strong swimmer I suppose.

[the wudges]

DS (also 8) can swim a few 25m laps of freestyle and backstroke with good technique. He is learning butterfly, breaststroke and to do tumble turns. His swim school focusses on stroke and technique rather than distance.