Swim Lessons University

🏊 Swim Instructor Tip #003: Build Skills Through Natural Progressions

This 3-year-old was only in his third swim lesson.

At the beginning of the lesson, he was barely willing to put his face in the water. By the end, he was holding his breath, opening his eyes underwater, and swimming! 👏

Progress like this doesn’t come from rushing or pushing too hard. It comes from meeting swimmers where they are and using small, natural skill progressions that build confidence along the way.

Progress builds confidence. Confidence leads to breakthroughs. 💙
Small steps can lead to big breakthroughs—and sometimes, they happen right before your eyes.

🎥 Watch the difference from the beginning to the end of the lesson.

💡 Swim Instructor Tip #002: The Windshield Wiper Trick

Do you have preschool swimmers who wipe their eyes after every submersion?

Instead of telling them, "Don't wipe your eyes," give them something they can picture.

Tell them:
👁️ "Pretend your eyelashes are windshield wipers."

Young children learn best through imagination. This simple visual cue encourages them to blink naturally, helping clear the water from their eyes without reaching up with their hands.

The result?
✅ Better rhythm between repetitions
✅ More confidence in the water
✅ One less habit to overcome

Sometimes the best teaching isn't about giving more instructions...
It's about giving children a picture they can imagine.

🎥 Watch the transformation in this video as one little swimmer goes from wiping her eyes after every submersion to completing several consecutive submersions without wiping.

What are some of your favorite imaginative cues that have worked with young swimmers?

Share them in the comments!

🏊 Swim Instructor Tip #001
Presented by Swim Lessons University

One of the most common mistakes I see when observing swim lessons is how children hold their kickboards.

It may seem like a small detail, but proper kickboard position plays an important role in helping young swimmers develop a strong, efficient, and fundamentally sound flutter kick.

In this video, you'll see:
❌ Several common ways children hold the kickboard incorrectly.
✅ The correct way to hold the kickboard to encourage proper body position and faster skill development.

Here are the key points:
✔️ Arms should be straight and resting on top of the kickboard.
✔️ Hands should grip the sides with thumbs on top and fingers underneath.
✔️ The child's arm length determines exactly where the hands should be placed.
✔️ The chin should be at the surface of the water.
✔️ The kickboard should never be tucked under the chest.

As swim instructors, parents, and coaches, paying attention to these small fundamentals can make a big difference in a child's long-term swimming success.

Follow our page for more Swim Instructor Tips, and visit SwimLessonsUniversity.com to learn how you can become a certified swim instructor.

Train Online Today. Teach Tomorrow. 🏊💦

Meet 3½-year-old Silas, graduating from Swim Lessons University's Swim 101 class! 🎉🏊

If you've watched our Preschool Swim Teaching videos, you've probably noticed our young swimmers wearing the SwimWays Power Swimmer. While some instructors prefer not to use flotation devices, I've successfully used this Progressive Swim Trainer since 1994—and for good reason.

With 9 removable flotation pads, I can gradually reduce support as each child gains confidence and independence. Instead of relying on an instructor every second, children are able to practice swimming on their own much sooner.

Another reason I recommend this swim trainer is that it naturally keeps children in a horizontal body position, making it easier to develop an effective flutter kick. At the preschool age, the flutter kick is the primary source of propulsion. Good body position helps prevent children from developing habits like "running" or bicycling in the water, which can be difficult to correct later.

One of the greatest benefits is more practice. Because children can practice independently, instructors can safely teach two or three swimmers at the same time.

As I've said for years:

Practice is the Mother of Learning, and Repetition is King.

More practice leads to faster learning, greater confidence, and happier swimmers.

There's also an important safety benefit. While nothing replaces close adult supervision, this Progressive Swim Trainer helps keep children at the surface, giving instructors valuable time to respond if a swimmer needs assistance.

After nearly 40 years of teaching children to swim, I know there are many effective teaching methods. I respect every instructor whose mission is helping children become safe and confident in the water.

As Executive Director of Swim Lessons University, I'll continue recommending this Progressive Swim Trainer because it has been tested, refined, and proven since 1994. Today, Swim Lessons University instructors are teaching children in all 50 states and more than 40 countries. Our mission has never been just teaching children to swim—it's helping them become confident, capable, and safer around the water for life.

Interested in becoming a certified Swim Lessons University instructor?

For just $50, you'll receive unlimited access to our Swim 101 online training course, complete lesson plans, and the opportunity to earn your certification.

Train online today. Teach tomorrow!
🌊 www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

Unpopular opinion: "The best competitive swimmers don't always make the best swim instructors."

I know... because I used to be one.

One of the biggest mistakes we make as instructors is teaching beginners like they're training for the Olympics. We overload new swimmers with technical details:
• Rotate your hips.
• Enter your hand at this angle.
• Use an inward sweep.

But beginners don't need more information—they need a clear understanding of the basic movement.

Motor learning research shows that beginners learn best when they focus on the main idea of a skill rather than every technical detail. That's why learning cues are so effective. A simple word or short phrase can help students understand the movement first.

Once they've mastered the movement, then it's time to refine the technique. Movement first. Technique second.

This approach helps students gain confidence, learn faster, and enjoy more success in the water.

That's exactly why we developed the SLU Freestyle Side Breathing Cues as part of the Swim Lessons University teaching system.

🏊 Train online today. Teach tomorrow.

Visit www.SwimLessonsUniversity.com

I'd love to hear from other instructors:

"What's one teaching cue that's made a real difference for your students?"