Swim school operators, did you know that we now have concrete evidence of the benefits of learning to swim? Griffith University lead a 4 years study sponsored by the swimming industry. This four-year explored the possibility that early years swimming may enhance the learning of young children.
The project focused on the under-5s and employed a number of research strategies to formally explore a strong observation by coaches and teachers in the swim industry that young swimmers are more confident, more articulate, more social and perhaps even a little ‘smarter’ than their non-swimming peers.
Parent’s Survey
A large survey each year asks parents to report on their children’s development. They then correlate the responses and are put in comparison to the expected progression through developmental milestones. To test the veracity of this data, a sample of swimming children is then put under further assessment by developmental psychologists with internationally approved testing methods.
Swim schools themselves were also under examination. The physical environments were under assessment as well as the profile of pedagogies under the employment of swim schools.
Furthermore, to read these extremely important reports and to gain a great understanding of the benefits swimming provides in the early years of a child’s life.
Kids Alive do the Five
Laurie Lawrence, Australia’s water safety (kidsalive.com.au) advocate and baby teaching expert has been researching and documenting infant learn to swim since 1975. During this time he has also anecdotally observed infants and young children receive numerous benefits from participating in learn-to-swim programs.
In conclusion, Laurie believes learning to swim from infancy will:
- Teach children a respect for the water making them less likely to wander into dangerous situations.
- Improve children’s physical development, coordination, health, fitness and muscle tone.
- Build children’s independence, confidence and social skills.
- Teach children a love of the water – a gift for life.
Teach children a skill which may one day save their life.