Welcome to Ms. Darci's Swim School

What to Expect with Infant Self-Rescue Lessons

Discover a personalized approach to infant swim lessons in Surprise, AZ, tailored to your child's needs.

Welcome to Ms. Darci's ISR Swim Lessons

ISR swim instruction is for children 6 months to 6 years with all one on one instruction. Lessons are conducted 5 days a week (your child will attend daily at the same time) for a maximum 10 minutes a day.

Children 6 months to about 1 year learn to "rollback to float." Rollback to Float lessons teach your baby to independently turn themselves onto their back, if ever face down in the water, to safely breathe, rest, and float on their back.

Children over 1 year to about 2 years learn to "swim-roll back-float." With swim-rollback-float instruction, your baby can swim a short distance and then independently roll onto their back and float when they need air and rest.

Children approximately 2 years old and older can learn "swim-float-swim." With swim-float-swim instruction your child can swim underwater until they need to breathe, roll to their back for a few breaths until rested, and then swim starting the sequence again.

FAQs

Do parents have to leave during the lessons?

No. You are truly the best cheerleader your child could have. Your positive support and encouragement are invaluable to creating an effective learning environment for your child.

Why do you have the children swim in clothes?

Because 86% of children who fall in the water do so fully clothed, we want our students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, he/she is less likely to experience panic and be able to focus on the task at hand. If you have ever jumped in the water with clothes on, then you know that there is a significant difference in weight and feel with clothes as opposed to a bathing suit.

Why does it take an average of 6 weeks for my child to learn this?

The 6-week average is an estimate that is based on the average time in which it takes most children to learn these survival skills. Every child is unique and ISR’s Self- Rescue program is specifically designed based on your child’s individual strengths and needs. It is important to realize that this is an average which means that some children will actually finish more quickly while others will need more practice. ISR is dedicated to safety and, therefore, we want to provide your child with the time and best opportunity to become proficient in his/her survival skills. We will always honor your child’s needs.

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.

Download ISR's Family Aquatic Safety List to help protect your family from the hazards of an aquatic environment

Get in Touch

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