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Table Of Contents Toddlers 2+ Lesson Plan... 3 Additional Notes on: Toddlers 2+ Lesson Plan... 4 Level 1 Lesson Plan... 5 Additional Notes on: Level 1 Lesson Plan... 6 Level 2 Lesson Plan... 7 Level 3 Lesson Plan... 8 Level 2 Lesson Plan... 9 Notes on: Level 2 Lesson Plan... 10 2
Toddlers 2+ Lesson Plan Ring-a-Rose: 1 Sung and Performed 3 times with children. 3 min Children in a circle holding hands bobbing down on we all fall down. Each lesson bob down a little lower in the water. (i.e. lesson 1 to the chin, lesson 2 the mouth, lesson 3 the nose 2, lesson 4 the top of their nose below their eyes and finally their eyes & head in respective lessons). Floating on Back: Floating with assistance: 1 child at a time building to backward torpedo Kicking legs on back & front: Fun, Group Activity with noodles / kick boards / Mats 7 min 3 min Coordinated Arms & Leg Movement: Assisted doggie paddle on front; backstroke on back: 1 child at a time. Start with arms and as they get the hang of that add kicking. Humpty Dumpty: 1 Children sitting on the edge of the pool, sing the song to one child at a time, the child falls to you into the pool. The teacher turns them around and assists them to the edge. Explain to them what they are going to do and that they are going to do it with your help. Then tell them what you are doing as you help them do it. If they start to get the hang of it themselves, let them do as much as they can independently, assisting where necessary to keep them safe. Independent Swimming: Group activity Using: noodles / floaties (Water Wings) / kick boards etc. and assistance. May have to start with 2 children at a time as the children may be very nervous and will need your support. Game & Finish: Teddy Bear Song: 1 All together in shallow. 1 You are not restricted to these songs there are many other appreciate songs to use. 2 When children reach their nose, they may breath in water. The teacher should for warn the student that this may happen and that it is OK. That if it does happen you will stop for them for a moment and then sing the song again. 3
Additional Notes on: Toddlers 2+ Lesson Plan Toddles should be in Shallow water, where the depth is between their hips and their chest and no deeper. Do not, insist on children going under water. Keep asking them to go under but don't make or force them. If they have come through a parent and teacher classes willing to put their face under water, they may revert to not wanting to but it will come back to them in the child's own time, not yours. Children do not need to be proficient in order to be promoted. Promote them once the child is comfortable doing the above If you are running out of time in the lesson, do not hesitate to leave part of your lesson plan out. As the children get more confident your plan will take less time. If you don't have a full class you may get through everything with time to spare. If you have left play games. If you have1 left Repeat the lesson. 4
Level 1 Lesson Plan Ring-a-Rose: 1 Sung and Performed 3 times with children Floating Back & Front: 7 min Back: In shallows, 1 child at a time with your assistance. As the children become more proficient, try floating 2 and work towards group floating Front: In shallows, 1 child at a time with your assistance. As the children become more proficient, try floating 2 and work towards group floating. Absolutely, No child should be allowed to hold their breath in a front float for any longer than 6 seconds. Kicking legs on back & front: 1 3 min Group Activity with noodles / kick boards / Mats; fix kick as they practice Coordinated Arms & Leg Movement: 1 child at a time: Circle arm movements with kicking. Back and front. Only correct bent arms when students are on their back. Humpty Dumpty: 1 1 child at a time Independent Swimming: Use noodles / floaties (Water Wings) / kick boards etc. and assistance. Gradual group activity 2 Game & Finish: Teddy Bear Song All together in shallow 3 min 1 See note 1 in previous lesson plan 2 Start with one or two children at a time. As the each child gains confidence and needs less assistance, add a child to the activity. Always make sure you as the teacher can make each child safe with more children in the water. That is, the child must be stable in the water with what they are doing and not rolling or tipping over before adding the next child. Work towards the child being unassisted in the water with the kick board. 5
Additional Notes on: Level 1 Lesson Plan Toddles should be in Shallow water where the depth is between their hips and their chest and no deeper. Do not insist on children going under water. Keep asking them but don't make or force them. If they have come through a parent and teacher class willing to put their face under water, they may revert to not wanting to but it will come back to them in the child's own time, not yours. 6
Level 2 Lesson Plan Ring-a-Rose: 3 times Depth should be between students hips and chest and no deeper 1 1 min Floating Back & Front: Back: Deep water than Level 1 Lesson Plan, 1 child at a time with your assistance. As the children become more proficient, try floating 2 and work towards group floating. Working towards a group float should take less time than with that Level 1 Lesson Plan. Front: Deep water than Level 1 Lesson Plan, 1 child at a time with your assistance. As the children become more proficient, try floating 2 and work towards group floating. Working towards a group float should take less time than with that Level 1 Lesson Plan. There is no need to be as rigid with the holding of breath at this level as you were with the Level 1 Lesson Plan however 6 seconds is still a good guide. Kicking legs on back & front: Group Activity Freestyle: 10 min introduce. torpedo & develop (i.e. start with torpedo with kick board, when confident, then without, then add catchup arms). Backstroke: - Backwards torpedo - Holding kick board over knees whilst kicking - Backstroke arms with teacher assistants - Hands by sides kicking - Add backstroke arms Game & Finish: Teddy Bear Song All together in shallow 10 min 1 Children at this level are supposed to be confident in putting their head under water but Do Not insist on it. Children are easily affected by change and may take a while to regain their confidence after changing groups, an event that creates change at home or a bunch of other things. Keep asking them but don't make or force them. Given time, empathy, dignity, patience and sometimes firmness but not bullying and they will put their face under water. It will come in the child's own time not yours. 7
Level 3 Lesson Plan Freestyle Development: 7 min 1 Torpedo & develop (ie start with torpedo when confident add catchup arms). My personal preference is to teach breathing separately but not to add it in at this level. Backstroke: 7 min 1 Backwards torpedo Hands by sides kicking Add backstroke arms Breaststroke: introduce and develop 2 Butterfly & Survival Backstroke: introduce 3 and alternate each week Game & Finish: 10 min 4 min 1 Initially you may have to spend up to 10 min with the student doing freestyle and backstroke. As the student gets more confident then you will have time to introduce butterfly. 2 You may want to develop leg action and arm action in separate classes and combine them when the basic action (not necessarily efficient action) is acquired. One approach would be to use, a noodle for arm development and a kick board for leg development. 3 Butterfly arms may not be able to be developed at this level due to physical development of child. But it can still be introduced and worked on in rudimentary form. You may want to develop Butterfly leg action and arm action in separate classes and combine them when the basic action (not necessarily efficient action) is acquired. 8
Level 2 Lesson Plan Freestyle Development: 7 min 1 Extended feet, face in the water, Minimal splashing Bent arms both out of and under the water should be encouraged. Encourage Bi lateral Breathing Head turning to Breathe at the start of the breathing stroke Breathing on side with a single breath only, blowing bubbles under water Encourage body rotation. Minimal bent knees in legs Heals only rarely, breaking the surface of the water Toes pointed like a ballerina Body Zig Zag-ing in the water should be corrected Backstroke: 7 min 1 Develop underwater bent arm action Develop Rotations Hands should be leaving the water at the student's hips Little fingers should be entering the water first Arms should be moving continuously Head should be back with ears mostly in the water. Body straight and closer to the top of the water than in the previous level Strong relatively straight kick. knees close to but Not Breaking the water surface Toes should not breaking the surface of the water and be pointed like a ballerina. Body Zig Zag-ing in the water should be corrected Breaststroke: 7 min Correct breaststroke arms Correct the students breaststroke kick Integrate Breaststroke Arms and Kick The arms looking like breaststroke arms. Small arms circling under chest not be a double handed doggie paddle. There should be an insweep under the chest. The kick should be a Correct breaststroke kick. Coming together to finish Butterfly: 2 Introduce Butterfly arms Integrate Butterfly arms and dolphin kick Correct timing Only breathing every 2-3 arms Other Activities: Diving, Sculling etc. 9
Notes on: Level 2 Lesson Plan 1 Initially you may have to spend up to 10 min with the student doing freestyle and backstroke. As the student gets more confident then you will have time to introduce butterfly. 2 From time to time replace butterfly with survival backstroke. By this stage it should be well developed and should only need refreshing. 10