Methodology of adapting children to water

„Adaptation to water, adaptation exercises and the methodology to teach it has extensively been written about by researchers. The first step is to teach children not to be afraid of water and move around in it as confidently as on the ground. 

The aim of adaptation is to teach them how to jump into the water, how to immerse in water and how to orientate themselves. The actual teaching of correct swimming movements has to be preceded by performing a variety of adaptation tasks.

„The first type of exercises is not the teaching of concrete swimming movements but it is to introduce the learner to being in water. It is actually an adaptation process between the child’s body and the new environment. In order to learn new arm and leg movements, the child needs to know the characteristics of water and has to conform to them. ”

(Dr. Hamza I., Fodorné Dr. Földi R., Dr. Tóth Ákos 1995.)

When introducing the learner to being in water the first task is to help him/her get rid of all fears.  First we have to discuss the new (unusual) characteristic features of water and the basic rules of being in water.  The child gets into a new, for him or her not yet known situation and has to perform new, unusual tasks. If the child becomes fond of being in water, moving around in water, he or she will for sure like the swimming pool, too. It is equally important, too, that children have to experience a real sense of achievement at all times. When being in water everybody is exposed to experiences, different from the ones they feel on the ground.   These new experiences include the feeling of lightness, drag, and water temperature as being different from air temperature. Since people differ from one another, their adaptation process also shows differences. They respond differently to a variety of stimuli. While one child is capable of performing a task easily, the other would be too shy to step into the water and would protest to do more than this.  These differences can be explained by the children’s different skills and bravery but also by the differences between their physical abilities, including strength, speed, perseverance, the adaptability of their muscular and nervous systems.  Several tests with babies and very young children have proved that children are not born with fear of water.

One of the most important tasks of swim instructors is to look after the learners closely, because in case they have negative experineces in water – in the presence of teachers or parents – children will develop hydrophobia, which would cause a lot of difficulties later on. It might even determine the relationship of a person to water for a lifetime.