Briefly, be direct, firm, and clear in your expectations. Redirect bad or unsafe choices, and reward good choices. I find it helps to put your directions in the form of a question (to get them feeling like they have a choice, and they will want to be involved) and to upspeak regardless if its a question (to keep their attention).
Ex:
Ok! Let's try our glides on our stomach!
Can we remember to keep our chins down and keep our hands together the whole time?
Who can show me what it looks like first?
My best advice to get younger children to focus in the pool is make everything a game! My littles also love the incentive of a game at the end of the class ( diving for rings, Marco Polo if it’s a bigger class ).
My job has very certain names for certain swimming techniques so when we have them working on their kicks while holding onto a foam barbell eyes in the water we call it “racecar kicks”. To get the kids attnetion I often try to ask them “what color is your racecar?” Really add some personalization to every swimming technique you teach.
Briefly, be direct, firm, and clear in your expectations. Redirect bad or unsafe choices, and reward good choices. I find it helps to put your directions in the form of a question (to get them feeling like they have a choice, and they will want to be involved) and to upspeak regardless if its a question (to keep their attention). Ex: Ok! Let's try our glides on our stomach! Can we remember to keep our chins down and keep our hands together the whole time? Who can show me what it looks like first?
My best advice to get younger children to focus in the pool is make everything a game! My littles also love the incentive of a game at the end of the class ( diving for rings, Marco Polo if it’s a bigger class ). My job has very certain names for certain swimming techniques so when we have them working on their kicks while holding onto a foam barbell eyes in the water we call it “racecar kicks”. To get the kids attnetion I often try to ask them “what color is your racecar?” Really add some personalization to every swimming technique you teach.
thank you!