Teaching Backstroke To 4-Year-Olds. Teaching swimming to young kids needs to incorporate progressive lessons. Excellent teaching skills are vital, from getting used to the water, controlling their breath, and moving in the water to safety skills. Once they are used to being in the water, the backstroke technique is the easiest to learn because it allows them to breathe comfortably with their face outside the water.
First Step in Teaching Backstroke - Floating
The first step is teaching the trainees how to float using a kickboard. The child should hold the kickboard at the center with the thumb on the lower side and the fingers on the top, then pull it close to the chest. Ensure their ears and toes are below the water surface. This position should be perfect for giving an excellent flat body necessary for the backstroke.
Step 2 - Kick
Once comfortable floating with the kickboard, teach them how to do little, fast kicks with their feet underwater. Have fun intervals to allow them to enjoy the lesson but always insist on maintaining the swift underwater kicks. It would also benefit the children if you demonstrated or practiced with them. Ensure they attain perfect strong strokes while using the kickboards.
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Step 3 - Propulsion
The next step is teaching them how to kick without the boards. It would be helpful if you started by using land drills that are fun and help the kids learn the swimming position. Your teaching skills should make the swimming lessons fun and educative.
Teach them to keep their arms straight have the belly above the water, but the feet remain below the surface. Practice this position both on land and floating, and ensure the stroke is strong enough to propel them. At this point, the body position must be perfect for keeping the child afloat.
Step 4 - Arms
After the child knows how to kick without the board, teach them the arm movements. Try it first on the land before going in the water. Ensure they make six kicks, lift one arm straight above the head and pull. Then repeat the kicks and do the same with the other hand. Please encourage them to practice on land and at home till they attain a perfect rhythm. After that, take them to the water and help them do the rhythm practice.
Do what is comfortable with them and keep one hand in the middle of the back. Encourage them, stay close by them, and insist on perfecting the skills.
Conclusion
Children should always have enjoyable swimming lessons. While you insist on making every child perfect, allow them to enjoy and motivate them to improve daily. Let the child gain confidence from the float stage to the swimming stage, and you will see them learning faster than you expect.
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