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Floating

Floating requires a horizontal position and much concentration is needed to be able to take this position. This is the first step to learn gliding. The teacher’s assistance is very important at this stage.  If the teacher supports the child’s back, hip or chest, he/she will feel safer. When the learner can perform floating lying on his/her belly, the next step is to teach him/her to do the same when lying on his/her back. This stage is the first difficulty a teacher may encounter when teaching swimming and this is the first step to learn gliding.  

Exercises to teach floating:

  • Children bounce in water which is up to their chest. Occasionally they push off the pool floor and pull up their knees. They get the feeling that in this position they sink more slowly and, what is more, they can float as well.  
  • In knee-high water learners are in a push up position. They pull their knees under their bodies, then stretch and put their faces in the water. 
  • When teaching floating some props can be used, too. A rail or a washboard can be useful.  Learners hold onto the rail with both hands, they put their faces in the water then they raise ther legs and stretch them backward.  
  • The learners are to lean forward with their bodies stretched. A person has to be nearby to help and to catch them if there is a need.

The instructor may help those learners who have difficulties floating. The teacher may support the learners’ hip or chest so that children would feel safe. When doing the exercises the children may use a flotation device, a ball or a board.  

In addition to learning to float on the stomach it is important, too, to learn to float on back.

  • Facing the wall the learners hold on to the rail or wash board and crouch in water up to their neck and tilt their heads backwards. Their ears need to be in water.   
  • In this position they should take a few steps slowly and rest their feet on the wall.
  • From this position they push off. The teacher helps by supporting the children’s hip and shoulder.

When learning to float we can teach the children to extend their arms overhead next to their ears.