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What is ISR and how is it different from other swimming programs?
If my child is under one year old, what will he/she be able to learn?
If my child is over a year old, what will he/she be able to learn?
Are swimming lessons for infants and small children safe?
How do you teach a baby to swim?
Why should parents enroll their child in ISR lessons?
Why does ISR not use parents in the water during the lessons?
Will my child learn to fear the water after participation in ISR lessons?
Why is ISR not better known?
Has there ever been any outside research on the ISR program?
How are ISR instructors trained?
Has ISR been approved by a state agency or child protective services?
Why can’t ISR teach infants under 6 months old?
What other benefits does the ISR lesson experience provide the child who has bee through lessons?
How do children know to hold their breath?
What about the use of floatation devices and life jackets?
How is it that babies can learn to respond to the danger that water presents when they fall in?
What further lessons will my child need?
WHAT IS ISR AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SWIMMING PROGRAMS?
Formerly known as Infant Swimming Research, ISR is the product over 40 years
of ongoing development in the area of aquatic survival instruction for infants
and children. ISR's primary focus is to teach you child to become a
productive swimmer, or floater in any depth of water. The goal of ISR
is that your child become an "aquatic problem solver".
ISR will greatly increase your child's chance of surviving an aquatic
accident, even when fully clothed! Developed in 1966 by behavioral
psychologist Dr. Harvey Barnett, ISR instructors have taught over
138,000 students nationwide and abroad.
IF MY CHILD IS UNDER ONE YEAR OLD, WHAT WILL HE/SHE BE ABLE TO LEARN?
Children between the ages of 6-12 months old are taught to roll over
and maintain a backfloat position in the event of an accidental fall
into the water. Teaching your infant to float takes approximately 3-4
weeks. Private 10 minutes lessons per day are held 5 days a week,
Monday through Friday. Skilled infants can maintain a backfloat
in a bathing suit or in clothing. If you own a hot tub, pool, boat,
or just enjoy the water, ISR highly recommends survival training once
you infant begins to crawl.
IF MY CHILD IS OVER A YEAR OLD, WHAT WILL HE/SHE BE ABLE TO LEARN?
Children over the age of one year are taught to swim with their face in the
water, and when they sense the need for air, to rollback onto their back to
float. After resting and breathing, they will roll over and continue to swim
to the nearest point of safety. A child can perform this swim-float-swim
sequence to reach safety in a survival situation. Children can also perform
this sequence in their clothes. If a child does not see a way out of his
predicament, he will roll over onto his back and maintain a backfloat position.
This buys the parent time in the event of an accident. This same sequence is
most often used for fun at the pool! The confidence and self-esteem of these
young swimmers is truly amazing! Teaching your 12 month to 6 year old will
take approximately 4-6 weeks. The lesson format is the same as for the infants.
ARE SWIMMING LESSONS FOR INFANTS AND SMALL CHILDREN SAFE?
YES! ISR is dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols
to promote safe lessons. Your child's health and well-being
are closely monitored on a daily basis. In addition, your child's
medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR
national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential.
All ISR instructors undergo an intensive and rigorous training that far
exceeds any other training program of this kind. Each ISR instructor is
also required to attend a yearly recertification symposium that includes
quality control as well as upgrading. Your education in the area of aquatic
safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child's lessons.
You will receive access to the "Parent Resource Guide", written by Dr.
Harvey Barnett and JoAnn Barnett, which will inform you of every aspect of
swimming for infants and children.
Consider these additional points:
- No child is ever thrown into the pool.
- A child is never submerged for more than 7 seven seconds.
- ISR instructors monitor your child for temperature and muscular fatigue,
as well as physical and psychological well-being.
- Your child's daily routines outside of ISR lessons hold valuable data
for your instructor. You will receive instruction on how to communicate
this information to your instructor.
After a little research, you will understand why ISR is the
only program in the United States to be recognized by a Florida
state agency to teach actual aquatic skills to infants and young
children under the age of 4 years.
HOW DO YOU TEACH A BABY TO SWIM?
ISR instructors teach infants to swim by honoring each child's
individual strengths and experiences. They understand the
fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development and
of sensorimotor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic
survival skills; they use this education to guide each child through
the sequence of learning to swim and float.
WHY SHOULD PARENTS ENROLL THEIR CHILD IN ISR LESSONS?
ISR parents enroll their children because they understand
their children's abilities and want to give them every
opportunity to learn. They also feel it is important to teach
their children how to surface and breathe should they find
themselves alone in the water. Research shows that there
are better times to learn certain things and swimming is
best learned early in life. (Newsweek and Drowning Statistics)
WHY DOES ISR NOT USE PARENTS 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 research shows
that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective
teachers with their own children in the water.
WILL MY CHILD LEARN TO FEAR THE WATER?
There is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because you are not yet skilled in
a dangerous environment. ISR is not like traditional swim lessons; it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming.
Your child may not happily skip to his or her ISR lesson each day at first, but that's okay.
Sometimes as a parent, you make sure your child does things for his or her safety,
like receiving vaccinations and wearing a seat belt, because you know they are important. The same can be said for ISR.
FUN can be defined as when SKILL meets CHALLENGE. Once competent in their skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having entirely too much FUN.
When you learn about ISR, you know this is the most important level of protection you can give your child to prevent drowning.
If fences, supervision, and alarms fail, your child's skill is an additional measure of protection.
WHY IS ISR NOT BETTER KNOWN?
ISR prefers to grow slowly with high standard of quality control.
Parents who take the time to investigate the programs that are
available for their children find ISR; hence, the program continues
to grow by word of mouth of thousands of educated, satisfied parents.
HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANY OUTSIDE RESEARCH ON THE ISR PROGRAM?
Dr. David Carr, a pediatrician in Orlando, Florida, conducted
an extensive study on ISR. You can read his results on the Internet
at the ISR web page http://infantswim.com/drcarr.htm After completing
this study, Dr. Carr and his wife enrolled their daughter in ISR lessons.
HOW ARE ISR INSTRUCTORS TRAINED?
Each of the 145 ISR instructors trained have spent a minimum of five
weeks in the water working beside a Master Instructor and/or Senior
Master Instructor gradually taking more and more responsibility for
each child's lesson. In addition to the in-water time, academic
sessions are conducted in the areas of child development and learning
theory, the behavioral sciences; and anatomy, physiology and physics
as they relate to infants and young children in the aquatic environment.
Each instructor is also required to obtain and maintain both First Aid and
CPR for Healthcare Providers certifications. In addition, each instructor
is required to attend the ISR National Recertification each year for continuing
education about every facet of ISR as well as quality assurance.
HAS ISR BEEN APPROVED BY A STATE AGENCY OR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES?
ISR has presented its program as required by law to the review
committee for the State of Florida Health and Rehabilitative Services.
ISR earned the unanimous approval from that committee in 1992 and
is certified by HRS to conduct lessons in Florida.
WHY CAN'T ISR TEACH INFANTS UNDER 6 MONTHS OLD?
Children under the age of 6 months are not neurologically
mature enough to benefit from ISR instruction.
WHAT OTHER BENEFITS DOES THE ISR LESSON EXPERIENCE PROVIDE
THE CHILD WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH LESSONS?
Every child is different; however, many parents
report that once their young children have mastered learning to
swim, the resulting confidence in the abilities engenders a
positive self-concept that is often demonstrated in other aspects
of their personalities.
HOW DO CHILDREN KNOW TO HOLD THEIR BREATH?
Breath holding skills are taught in the first lesson.
We shape breath control using highly effective positive
reinforcement techniques.
WHAT ABOUT THE USE OF FLOTATION DEVICES AND LIFE JACKETS?
Flotation devices give children a false sense of security and
hold them in postures that are not compatible with swimming skills.
If a child learns that he can jump in the water and go into a vertical
posture and he will be able to breathe, he is getting the wrong idea
about that environment. Flotation devices are for children who
cannot swim. Children, who cannot swim, should not be allowed to
learn that it is safe to play in the water while relying on a crutch.
Life jackets must be worn in a boat or around the water when there is
the potential for an accidental submersion; they are not a substitute
for the ability to swim or for adult supervision.
HOW IS IT THAT BABIES CAN LEARN TO RESPOND TO THE DANGER
THAT WATER PRESENTS WHEN THEY FALL IN?
A baby does not need to perceive danger or be afraid to
respond appropriately to being underwater. If a baby has
learned to roll over and float when he needs air, he doesn't
need to perceive danger in order to respond in this manner.
He needs skill, practice and confidence to calmly deal with the
situation.
WHAT FURTHER LESSONS WILL MY CHILD NEED?
ISR recommends that you bring your child back for refresher lessons.
Frequency depends on the child's age, growth rate, skill level and
confidence level. The goal of refreshers is to help your child adjust his/her new
body size and weight to his existing skill level. Your instructor
will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her
aquatic experience to assist with building
efficiency which will result in self-confidence. This is especially
important if you child has not been able to practice any appropriate
aquatic skill between seasons. While NO program can "drown proof" your
child, ISR lessons typically have a 94-100% retention rate up to one year
later. Refresher lessons are important because children change so
much both cognitively and physically during the first 4-5 years of life.
It is important that their aquatic skill and abilities grow with their bodies.
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