Frequently Asked Questions
YOU SAY YOUR PRIORITY IS SURVIVAL SKILLS. WILL MY CHILD LEARN TO ACTUALLY SWIM?
Yes! Children who are developmentally ready to swim (typically around 20-24 months old) will learn to swim. ISR lessons teach the swim-float-swim sequence to ensure that children are able to get themselves to safety. The difference in our program is that children will learn swimming AND survival skills, making them an adept aquatic problem solver. If your child is not yet ready to learn to swim, absolutely every child will learn how to roll onto their back and float/rest. This lifesaving skill is taught to every child in ISR lessons.
WHY ARE THE LESSONS 5 DAYS PER WEEK AND FOR ONLY 10 MINUTES?
The reason for this is multifaceted. First, repetition and consistency are crucial elements of learning for young children, and research shows that short, more frequent lessons result in higher retention. Second, most children have fairly short attention spans and will not be able to focus on the task for longer than 10 minutes. We want to take advantage of the best time for learning. Third, though the pool temperature is maintained at 78-88 degrees, that’s still lower than your child's body temperature. Lessons are a lot of work for your child. As such, they will be losing body heat, and temperature fatigue is an indicator of physical fatigue.
WHAT IS THE RETENTION RATE WITH ISR?
ISR claims a retention rate of 94-100% up to one year following lessons. Having said this, children will explore and may pick up bad habits watching other children or with interference like floating in a bathtub or playing on the steps. As your child goes through lessons, you will begin to understand, through communication with your Instructor, what activities may interfere with their learned self-rescue skills. Contacting and/or returning to your Instructor in a timely manner is imperative to maintaining effective habits.
HOW IS ISR DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SWIMMING PROGRAMS?
ISR is the product over 45 years of ongoing development in the area of aquatic survival instruction for infants and children. The goal of ISR is for your child to become an "aquatic problem solver." Lessons focus on teaching your child to become a productive swimmer or floater in any depth of water, greatly increasing their chance of surviving an aquatic accident, even when fully clothed!
DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN THAT CAN'T LEARN THE SKILLS?
Nope. Every child can learn. It is the Instructor’s job to find the best way to communicate the information to the child so that it makes sense. The Instructor will set your child up to be successful every time and tailor each lesson to exactly where they are.
WHAT IS THE AAP’S POSITION ON SWIMMING LESSONS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN?
In May of 2010, the AAP changed it's policy regarding the age at which children may start swimming lessons. This change was based on research that found that swim lessons provided reduction in drowning risk of children ages 1- to 4-years-old. That study, "Association Between Swimming Lessons and Childhood Drowning," published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, March, 2009, by Brenner et. al. was the first study to probe the relationship between drowning reduction and swimming skills. The study concluded that "participation in formal swimming lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in 1- to 4-year-old children..."
The AAP encourages parents to consider that starting water-survival skills training at an early age must be individualized, based on the child's frequency of exposure to water, emotional maturity, physical limitations and health concerns related to swimming pools.
WHY DOES IT TAKE 6 WEEKS FOR MY CHILD TO LEARN THIS?
Six weeks is the average time in which it takes most children to learn the ISR survival skills. Every child is unique and ISR's Self-Rescue program is specifically designed based on your child's individual strengths and needs. It is important to realize that this is an average, which means that some children will actually finish more quickly while others will need more practice. ISR is first and foremost dedicated to safety. Therefore, we want to provide your child with the best opportunity to become proficient in their survival skills, honoring your child's individual needs.
WHY DO YOU HAVE THE CHILDREN SWIM IN CLOTHES?
Because most children who fall in the water do so fully clothed, we want our students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensation of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, they are less likely to experience panic and be able to focus on the task at hand. They only swim in clothes toward the end of the lessons, not every day.
ARE SWIMMING LESSONS FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN SAFE?
Absolutely. ISR is dedicated maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child's health and well-being are our highest priority and are closely monitored on a daily basis. In addition, your child's medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential. All ISR Instructors undergo an intensive and rigorous training that far exceeds any other training program of this kind. Each ISR Instructor is also required to attend a yearly re-certification symposium that includes quality control as well as continuing education. Your education in the area of aquatic safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child's lessons. You will receive access to the "Parent Resource Guide," written by Dr. Harvey Barnett and JoAnn Barnett, which will inform you of every aspect of swimming for infants and children.
With a bit of research, you will find that ISR is the safest survival swimming program and also the most effective for teaching infants and young children.