New Red Cross Swimming Curriculum

The American Red Cross has updated their Swimming and Water Safety Program. Some of the changes that have been made include an increased emphasis on water safety and drowning prevention as well as a new distribution of skills throughout the levels to help reduce bottlenecks and optimize skill acquisition.

St. Paul Community Education will be implementing the new curriculum starting with the winter 2010 session. Please read the following class descriptions closely to ensure that your child is enrolled in the appropriate level.

Level 1: Introduction to Water Skills

-For children 5-10 years old.

Learn basic personal water safety information and skills to help participants feel comfortable in the water. Most skills are done with support or assistance. Included skills are:

Front and back floats (3 seconds)
Front and back glides (2 body lengths)
Rolling from front to back and back to front
Flutter kick and dolphin kick (2 body lengths)
Breaststroke arms and elementary backstroke arms (2 body lengths)
Front and back crawl (2 body lengths)
Water Safety Skills

Level 2: Fundamental Aquatic Skills

-For children 5-10 years old and have completed Level 1 or have equivalent skills.

Swimmers must be comfortable in the water and will work on locomotion skills. Skills are to be completed independently by the student. Included skills are:

Front and back floats (front- 5 seconds, back- 15 seconds)
Front and back glides (2 body lengths)
Elementary backstroke arms (5 body lengths)
Front and back crawl (5 body lengths)
Treading water (15 seconds)
Water Safety Skills

Level 3: Stroke Development

-For children 5-10 years old and have completed Level 2 or have equivalent skills.

Swimmers build on front and back crawl and are introduced to deep water skills. Skills are to be completed independently by the student. Included skills are:

Jump into deep water
Sitting and kneeling dives
Rotary breathing (10 times)
Survival floats (30 seconds)
Treading water (30 seconds)
Underwater streamlines on front (3-5 body lengths)
Front crawl and elementary back stroke (15 yards)
Back crawl and scissors kick (10 yards)
Water Safety Skills

Level 4: Stroke Improvement

-For children 6-14 years old and have completed Level 3 or have equivalent skills.

Swimmers work to improve front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke and increase endurance and are introduced to new strokes. Skills are to be completed independently by the student. Included skills are:

Compact and stride dives
Treading water (2 minutes)
Feet-first surface dive
Underwater streamlines on back (3-5 body lengths)
Front crawl and elementary backstroke (25 yards)
Back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke, butterfly (15 yards)
Front and back crawl open turns
Water safety skills

Level 5: Stroke Refinement

-For children 6-14 years old and have completed Level 4 or have equivalent skills.

Swimmers work on coordination and refinement of all strokes and increase their distances. Skills are to be completed independently by the student. Included skills are:

Shallow-angle dives
Tuck and pike surface dives
Front and back crawl flip turns
Treading water (5 minutes)
Front crawl and elementary backstroke (50 yards)
Back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke, butterfly (25 yards)
Standard skull (30 seconds)
Water safety skills

Level 6: Personal Water Safety

-For children 7-14 years old and have completed Level 5 or have equivalent skills.

Swimmers work to refine strokes so they can swim with more ease, efficiency, and power over greater distances. Skills are to be completed independently by the student. Included skills are:

Feet-first, tuck, and pike surface dives
Survival floats (5 minutes)
Survival swimming (10 minutes)
Treading water, kicking only (2 minutes)
Front crawl and elementary backstroke (100 yards)
Back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke, butterfly (50 yards)
Front and back crawl open turns and flip turns
Sidestroke, breaststroke, and butterfly turns
Water safety skills