swiming and sequencing

Hi My name is Kris. I am a Mom of a daughter with a muscle disability, a regular education teacher and am currently receiving my special education degree. I just order an augcom book through augcominc.com. It is a photo album that has recordable pages. So you can show a picture and then listen to the message. I was thinking maybe you could take pictures of yourself or someone else doing the sequential steps and then record what needs to be done in each of the steps. This way he could see and hear at the same time before he is ever in the water. Because then it is fun time and not work time. But he would remember the sequence. Then you can take the pictures and have them laminated several times so they are water permeable. This way you could hold the pictures and see if he is able to follow along. I hope this helps. Just remember to start something new/habit you need to do it 9 times in a row and for a several times before the brain will imprint and totally remember. Good luck

What are his problems?

I’d start with just kicking and breathing, and work on the six-beat flutter kick — first just kicking on the wall, counting 1-2-3-4-5-6 and repeating that… it’s a great warm-up. (By the way, when you’re holding on to the side, have one hand up, then turn the other hand around as if you were unscrewing a jar, untily your fingers point down or close to it, and move your hand about two feet under water. It is a lot easier to push on that hand a nd stay up than just holding onto the side.)

At first you will probably have to say “keep your legs straight and just move them up and down” to keep him from just kicking from the knees down. When he can kick with them straight, then go to the advanced version — you’re kicking as if the water were a soccer ball or a football, so on the *down* stroke you bend just a little. You can practice this just sitting on a bench on dry land and it’s good for ye olde stomach muscles but it’s tiring :)
The excellent kicker will only have the heels and not the toes come out of the water — so lots of splash is bad. You want to be a “stealth swimmer.” (I’ve heard that flippers sort of force you to kick right but I’ve not tried it.)

The “blowing bubbles underwater” part of swimming is important — otherwise you get awfully tired awfully fast and it’s hard to set up a rhythmic stroke. That, too, can be practiced all by itself, even in the sink. Stick that face in and exhale. Pick up the head to inhale. When that’s not a challenge, then go for that sophisticated turning of the head — when you can turn your head and take a breath with your ear still in the water you are an ace breather. THat’s a little easier to learn later on the kickboard though.

If you’re just at the pool hangin’ out, then doing that stuff for 5-10 minutes is a good starting point until it’s easy. Hopefully you’ve got access to a kickboard? Then it’s on to the next step… putting things to gether.

HOld the kickboard *way* out in front of you to kick. Learn to do this and pick up your head to take a breath without bending your arms or shoving down on the kickboard. The idea is to stretch your body out so it’s fl,oating, and you’re not parked up on the kickboard. This is a whole lot harder to do if you’re still doing a bent-knee kick
When you can kick all the way across the pool with that lovely, gentle splash of just your heels breaking the water (okay, I’m dreaming a little :)), take one hand and stretch it out behind you. Kick on your *side.* This is great for getting stronger and having to kick right and fixing some of the bent-knee tendencies. Keep your ear in the water, keep your ear in the water !!! You shouldn’t splash at all for this.

Now learn the arm stroke – one arm at a time. A little tough to describe this without visuals :) Bend your elbow, grab the water, and push it *all* the way behind you. The great stroke will have your thumb just grazing your leg, with your arm straight, just before you pick your amr out of the water — with ELBOW first. (Now, I’m talking about the perfect stroke here… obviously you’re probably going to have to make some compromises along the way :)) If you’re really good at this you can even drag your fingertips alont the water.
This is when you work the breathing in — and you can and should be rolling to your side (without picking up your head) to do it. Kick three times (left right left) while your arm is going down and stretch out beside you, and three times (right left right) when you’re coming back. Then kick a few times withboth hands on the kickboard (this helps get rid of the habit of having both hands down at your side.)
When you can swim one-handed with the kickboard across the pool with either hand, then don’t put the kickboard away — but do one arm then the other. Remember, ear in the water, and six kicks each time your arm goes around. I know, I knkow, there are a few olympic swimmers who do a 2-beat kick… this works better.
WHen you can do a beautiful, graceful stroke like that, you can put the kickboard up and try both arms at the same time. WHen one’s halfway down, pause, and “glide” or kick an extra six times with one arm ountstretched, the other strecthed down by your leg. Then pull with one arm while you bring the other arm around, and kick for a while on the other side. This gliding thing will make for a much smoother and more effecient stroke. I remember my sister disbelieving this — until we clocked her swimjing “fast” and then, again, swimming “slowly” but carefully,.. and with a faster time.

… the kickboard should be flat on the water, not sticking up in the air ;)

You refined some things I’ve tried and I think I know where we went wrong .I’ll let you know. Unfortunately cold season has interfered with lessons.

And… the most important thing by FAR is the breathing. If you don’t do *anything else* (I know kiddos sometimes are sure they’re doing just fine, thank you, let me PLAY :)) — teach ‘em to exhale underwater.

Another example of the “slow down and do it right — and then you’ll find you’re going faster anyhow”. I’ve been trying to get this message across in reading and math for years.