I need help with teaching swim lessons?

Question

tomorrow will be my second swim lesson. i am teaching a 4 and a half yr old boy how to swim. his mom said he just started putting his face in, but at his last lesson he did awesome. heres what we did:

-bubbles

-kickboard (he did really good and could do it by himself)

-TRIED floating on back, didnt really work

-jumping off the side

he did great but he still has a long way to go. he tells me he can swim but he basically is just vertical and moves his legs and arms. how do i get him to do freestyle and backstroke?? also, how do i get him to float?? he wont put his head back and his butt sinks.

Answer 1

make him look at some famous swimmers like Michael Phelps you could also make him float on his back again but will holding him in the water and you could try jumping into an inter tub or something to help his dive

Answer 2

It sounds like this kid would be motivated by a challenge. Tell him it's awsome that you bet that at the end of the lessons he'll be able to do all that (maybe throw a bit of candy into the mix) that way it's easier to keep him focused. To start floating on his back get him to lay his head down on your hand, the kick board, pool toy anything that floats and tell him to keep his belly out of the water. Gradually take away the aids so he is floating by himself. Once he has mastered that get him started on his strokes.

Hope this helped.

Answer 3

the BASIC MOST VALUABLE THING YOU CAN TEACH HIM IS TO FLOAT!!!!!!!! do that by holding his back and have him look up to the sky and tell him to lay flat as a board if he bends his neck or bends at his hips then he will sink so just hold his back like i said which helps a tonn!!!!! and next teach elementary backstroke (normally the first stroke taught to little kids) which is tickle ( hands tickle arm pits), tee (arms out legs straight in the shape of a tee), and I (which is arms and legs all staight to make an i shape) while hes doing this help him float on his back by supporting him( oh btw this is done on ur back) and then once he masters that he should add in a frog kick ( breaststroke kcik) and he should then be able to do that by himelf although this is not a real stroke it really builds up the confidence to swim and its very easy and once you do that go into backstroke the same way ( holding his back and first doing his arms then adding the legs) then you should add breaststroke then butterfly then freestyle (easiest order to learn them in for most children) anyways gooodd luckkkkk! :-)

Answer 4

Tell him to relax like he is laying in bed and if he bands he sinks.  I teach swim lessons and this has been a working strategy.  But always be very supportive of him.