Level Descriptions

American Red Cross Learn-To-Swim Youth Group Lessons

Parent-Tot

This class is designed to familiarize young children from ages 6 months to 3 years old and their parents how to safely work with their child in the water. This class is not designed to teach children to become good swimmers or even to survive in the water on their own.

Prerequisites

  • No skill prerequisites
  • Child must be at least 6 months old to enroll
  • Parent or other caregiver must accompany each child into the water and participate in each class

Learning Objectives

  • Learn to ask for permission before entering the water.
  • Learn how to enter and exit the water in a safe manner.
  • Feel comfortable in the water.
  • Explore submerging to the mouth, nose and eyes completely.
  • Explore buoyancy on the front and back position.
  • Change body position in the water with support.
  • Learn basic water safety rules and how to avoid water hazards around the home.
  • Learn about the importance of wearing a life jacket and experience wearing one.
  • Learn how to stay safe in, on and around the water, including knowing how to stay safe in the sun and how to avoid recreational water illnesses.
  • Learn how to call for help and the importance of knowing first aid and CPR.
Preschool

This class is designed to familiarize children between the ages of 3-5 years old. The objective of Preschool is to help children feel comfortable in the water and enjoy the water safely.

Prerequisites

There are no skill prerequisites for Preschool Aquatics Level 1. Participants start between 3-5 years old.

Learning Objectives

  • Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side
  • Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
  • Submerge mouth, nose and eyes
  • Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
  • Front and back glides and recover to a vertical position
  • Back float and recover to a vertical position
  • Roll from front to back and back to front
  • Tread with arm and hand actions
  • Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back
  • Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back
  • Experience wearing a life jacket in the water
  • Learn how to stay safe, including recognizing an emergency and knowing how to call for help
  • Learn how to stay safe in, on and around the water, including the use of a life jacket, recognizing lifeguards and sun safety
Level 1

This class is designed to familiarize children around 4 years or older with the water and basic swimming techniques. The objectives of Level 1 are to learn basic personal water safety information and skills, to help participants feel comfortable in the water and to enjoy the water safety.

Prerequisites

None – Participants start at about 4-5 years of age.

Learning Objectives

  • Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side
  • Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
  • Bobbing
  • Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
  • Front and back glides and floats
  • Recover to vertical position
  • Roll from front to back and back to front
  • Tread water using arm and hand actions
  • Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back
  • Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back
  • Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
  • Learn how to stay safe, including recognizing an emergency and knowing how to call for help
  • Learn how to stay safe in, on and around the water, including the use of a life jacket, recognizing lifeguards and sun safety
Level 2

This level marks the beginning of true locomotion skills.  Children will continue to explore simultaneous and alternating arm and leg actions on the front and back to lay the foundation for future strokes.

Prerequisites

Valid American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills certificate

OR

Successful demonstration of all certification requirements from Level 1

Learning Objectives

  • Enter and exit water by stepping or jumping from the side
  • Fully submerge and hold breath
  • Bobbing
  • Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
  • Front, jellyfish and tuck floats
  • Front and back glides and floats
  • Recover to vertical position
  • Roll from front to back and back to front
  • Change direction of travel while swimming on front or back
  • Tread water using arm and leg actions
  • Combined arm and leg actions on front and back
  • Finning arm action
  • Learn how to stay safe, including recognizing an emergency, knowing how to call for help and perform simple nonswimming assists
  • Learn how to stay safe in, on and around the water, including the use of a life jacket, recognizing lifeguards and sun safety
  • Learn to look carefully before entering the water
  • Learn what to think about and do when exhausted or caught in a dangerous situation
Level 3

The objectives of Level 3 are for participants to learn the survival float, the elementary backstroke and to coordinate the front crawl. They are introduced to the scissors kick and the dolphin kick and build on the fundamentals of treading water and diving.

Prerequisites

Valid American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills certificate

OR

Successful demonstration of all certification requirements from Level 2

Learning Objectives

  • Enter water by jumping from the side
  • Headfirst entries from the side in sitting and kneeling positions
  • Bobbing while moving toward safety
  • Rotary breathing
  • Survival float
  • Back float
  • Change from vertical to horizontal position on front and back
  • Tread water
  • Flutter, scissor, dolphin and breaststroke kicks on front
  • Front crawl and elementary backstroke
  • Learn to look carefully before entering the water
  • Learn to perform simple nonswimming assists
  • Learn to recognize, prevent and respond to cold water emergencies
Level 4

The objectives for Level 4 are to develop confidence in the strokes learned thus far and to improve other aquatic skills.  Participants improve their skills and increase their endurance by swimming familiar strokes (front crawl, elementary backstroke) for greater distances.

Prerequisites

Valid American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Level 3: Stroke Development certificate

OR

Successful demonstration of all completion requirements from Level 3

Learning Objectives

  • Headfirst entries from the side in compact and stride positions
  • Swim under water
  • Feet first surface dive
  • Survival swimming
  • Front crawl and backstroke open turns
  • Tread water using 2 different kicks
  • Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly
  • Flutter and dolphin kicks on back
  • Learn to look carefully before entering the water
  • Learn what to think about and do when exhausted or caught in a dangerous situation
  • Learn to perform simple non-swimming assists
  • Learn about recreational water illnesses and how to prevent them
Level 5

The objectives of Level 5 are to coordinate and refine strokes.  Participants refine their performance of all strokes (front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, and sidestroke) and increase their distances.

Prerequisites

Valid American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Level 4: Fundamental Aquatic Skills certificate

OR

Successful demonstration of all completion requirements from Level 4

Learning Objectives

  • Shallow-angle dive from the side then glide and begin a front stroke
  • Tuck and pike surface dives, submerge completely
  • Front flip turn and backstroke flip turn while swimming
  • Front and back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke and butterfly
  • Sculling
  • Learn to look carefully before entering the water
  • Learn what to think about and do when exhausted or caught in a dangerous situation
  • Learn to perform simple nonswimming assists
  • Learn about recreational water illnesses and how to prevent them
  • Learn how to call for help and the importance of knowing first aid and CPR
  • Learn basic safety guidelines for participating in aquatic activities at waterparks

 

Level 6

The objectives of Level 6 are to refine strokes so students swim them with more ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distance.

Prerequisites

Valid American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Level 5: Stroke Refinement certificate

OR

Successful demonstration of all completion requirements from Level 5

Learning Objectives

  • Increase endurance while swimming the following strokes:
  • Front crawl–100 yards
  • Back crawl–100 yards
  • Butterfly–50 yards
  • Elementary backstroke–50 yards
  • Breaststroke–50 yards
  • Sidestroke–50 yards
  • Demonstrate the following turns while swimming:
  • Front crawl open turn
  • Backstroke open turn
  • Sidestroke turn
  • Front flip turn
  • Backstroke flip turn
  • Breaststroke turn
  • Butterfly turn
  • Demonstrate etiquette in fitness swimming
  • Discuss and demonstrate how to use the following equipment while swimming:
  • Pull buoy
  • Fins
  • Pace clock
  • Paddles
  • Describe the principles of setting up a fitness program
  • Demonstrate various training techniques
  • Calculate target heart rate
  • Apply the principles of water exercise

 

Fitness

Participants who have completed level 6 and would like to continue to swim on a regular basis for fitness. These participants will swim all strokes and will become more confident in refining their strokes and endurance