Welcome to West Valley ISR

What to Expect

Discover our personalized approach to swim lessons and how we prioritize your child's safety and skill development in every lesson

Welcome to West Valley ISR!

ISR swim lessons are for children 6 months to 6 years old. Lessons are 4 days a week Monday-Thursday. Each lesson is one on one for a maximum of 10 minutes a day. ISR lessons are customized to each child based on their age, their developmental milestones they have reached, and their aquatic experience. On average, about 6-8 weeks of lessons are needed to teach the ISR skills.

Infants and toddlers who are not yet walking learn the ISR skills needed to "rollback to float" in the water. 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.

Toddlers who are walking well and children up to about 6 years old will learn to "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 start swimming again.

FAQs

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 don’t parents participate in the water during the lessons?

We do not want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention, and affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic emergency and our experience shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water. We gladly invite parents to join us in the pool once their child has independent skills to practice at home.

Do you have children that just can’t learn the skills?

No. Every child can learn. It is my job to find the best way to communicate the information so that it makes sense to the child. I set your child up to be successful every time you bring them to me. I start where they are and through consistent lessons, we see progress.

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.

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

Download Safety List

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