ISR Swim Lessons with `Kristen Harris` | Infant Swimming Resource

Your ISR Instructor in Central New Jersey

I have been and ISR instructor for over 10 years. As a child, I was always around a body of water, so naturally my mother signed me up for a swim team. My swimming career began at the age of four and continued through college. I attended the University of Florida where I was an NCAA qualifier and a 2004 Olympic Trail qualifier. While at Florida, I received a Master's Degree in Special Education. I am also certified in CPR and First Aid.

I was first introduced to ISR when my niece went through the program, and I was amazed at how she preformed her ISR Self-Rescue^TM skills at the end of six weeks. I became inspired to teach other children this life saving skill. Since many people have a pool in their backyard or frequent a local pool, I believe that the skills a child learns from this program will give parents peace of mind.

FAQs

I hear you say your priority is survival skills. Will my child learn to actually swim?

Yes. At ISR, we believe that part of survival for a child who can walk is swimming. Children learn the swim-float-swim sequence so that they could get themselves to safety. The difference in our program is that they will learn swimming AND survival skills and how to be an aquatic problem solver.

What is the American Academy of Pediatrics position on swimming lessons for young 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. You can view their policies and suggestions through the AAP website here: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at- play/Pages/Swim-Lessons.aspx

How is it that babies can learn to respond to the danger of water when they fall in?

A baby does not need to perceive danger or be afraid to respond appropriately to being underwater. If a baby has learned to roll over and float when he needs air, he doesn't need to perceive danger in order to respond in this manner. He needs skill, practice and confidence to calmly deal with the situation.

Why are 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. 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 and we want to take advantage of the best time for learning. A third reason is that, though the pool temperature is maintained at 78-88 degrees, the temperature is still lower than your child's body temperature. Lessons are work and therefore will also be losing body heat. Instructors check students regularly for temperature fatigue since this is an indicator of physical fatigue.

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