At Five Star Swim School, we group our classes by age and skill to ensure each student is being appropriately challenged while feeling comfortable and encouraged. Continue reading to learn about what each level is practicing!

                Five Star Swim Schools provide swim lessons for students of all ages and abilities, beginning at just 6 months old. We place our students into one of 7 age groups; each of which has various levels totaling in 24 different groups!

Seahorse Class

                Our youngest students are placed in a parent and child class for children ages 6 months through two and a half years old. This group, called “Seahorse”, has two different levels. The first Seahorse group is a great way to bond with your little one! During a typical Seahorse class, you can expect to have some fun while getting your child comfortable with floating on their bellies and backs. The instructor will lead the class through a few songs that encourage your baby to be engaged in learning. In addition to floating, Seahorse 1 students will get comfortable with being submerged, practice moving their limbs and even try out jumping into the water with some assistance!

                As a Seahorse 2 student, children still enjoy physical contact with their parents as they advance and prepare to join our Guppy group (for independent children over two and a half years old). In this level, students improve the skills learned in the Seahorse 1 class with fewer songs and more hands-on guidance from the instructor(s).

                Once students turn two and a half years old, they can participate in swim lessons without their parents. Our “Guppy” group helps children ages two and a half to five years old adopt safe swimming habits. In the first level for this age group, the primary focus is educating students on water safety and practicing skills that could save their lives if they were to wind up in an unfortunate situation. Students in the Guppy 1 group learn how to blow bubbles, glide and roll with assistance as well as float on their backs and bellies. Guppy 1 participants also practice submersion, front crawl, jumps and “crabby walks” (using the edge of the pool to reach safety).

                Once a student is comfortable with the techniques practiced in the Guppy 1 group, the instructor will notify the office and that child can move on to the Guppy 2 level! In this group, students will practice the same skills for a longer distance while receiving less assistance from instructors. Eventually, the students will gain the confidence needed to properly execute the skills they have been practicing without the help of an instructor and can graduate to the third and final level for their age group.

                If a student advances to the Guppy 3 level, they will begin to use the techniques they have built for longer distances all on their own! Guppy 3 students also learn new skills such as the leg movements of the backstroke, treading and streamlining. These skills are essential to water survival and improving proper technique.

                At age five, students who were previously in the Guppy group move into the Dolphin age group, which is for children ages five to eight years old. The skills practiced in the five levels of the Dolphin group are the same as those practiced in the five levels of the older groups including the Shark group (for students eight to twelve years old) and the Sea Lion group (for students ages twelve to fifteen). Though the same skills are practiced in each of these levels, there are minor differences to make each level more age appropriate.

                In the first level for the older age groups, it is not uncommon for a beginner to have an established fear of the water. Our instructors understand the needs of a wary student and take the time to ensure such a student is comfortable while encouraging them to push through any fear. Dolphin, Shark and Sea Lion 1 students work on getting comfortable with floating, the basic movements of the elementary backstroke, using their arms to “scoop” the water and move themselves across the pool, as well as using kickboards to practice flutter kicks. If age appropriate, students may also practice jumping into the pool and retrieving sunken toys.

                In level 2 classes, students begin to glide and swim longer distances with little to no assistance, practice front and back kicks without any assistance and learn how to streamline. Streamlining is a technique used to propel the swimmer forward more smoothly and quickly. Level 2 students also begin to incorporate leg movements into their elementary backstroke practice.

                Once a student advances to the third level of any of the three groups mentioned, they begin to delve deeper into technical swimming, as safety skills have already been established. Level 3 participants are introduced to side breathing with the use of props and hands-on instruction. This skill helps prepare students for developing their freestyle stroke. Preexisting skills are advanced in this level as students swim longer distances and eventually master the full backstroke. Treading is also practiced in this level.

                Level four classes allow students to perfect all of the strokes they have learned in the previous levels and helps increase endurance. Students in the fourth level for their age group will also begin to learn breaststroke.

                Once students are confident and are properly executing the skills they have learned thus far, they are ready to move into the fifth and final level! Level five students put their endurance to the test as they complete more laps than they have in previous levels and even participate in races to develop a bit of healthy competition. Students in the fifth level will also learn how to properly swim the butterfly stroke. Though the fifth level is the last for the age group, it does not necessarily mean it is the end of one’s time as a student at Five Star Swim School.

                We offer a Stroke Development class, open to students of any age who have advanced through all five levels. This class is geared toward preparing students for swim teams. Students who participate in this level will be pushed to increase their endurance, speed and strength. Stroke Development students will also learn how to properly complete starts and turns and will participate in races to encourage them to be more competitive with their swimming.

                As mentioned earlier, we provide swim lessons for students of all ages! Adult swim lessons are offered for students ages 16 and up and are grouped into three sublevels. The first level for adult students is our beginner level, geared toward assisting our students in overcoming any fear of water, getting comfortable with floating, learning how to properly use their breath and becoming introduced to both front and back crawl. Though we typically maintain a 3:1 student to teacher ratio in our group lessons, we try to make the ratio smaller with adult students when possible to ensure each individual is getting something out of their lessons, as we understand how drastically one person can vary from another in the same level.

                Adult students who have a general understanding of swimming and are comfortable with being in the water can participate in our intermediate level. In this class, students will learn backstroke, increase their endurance and be introduced to the basics of breaststroke. Once an intermediate student has developed their strokes, they can move into our advanced level.

                Here, students will further increase their endurance and refine learned skills. New techniques will be introduced such as the butterfly and freestyle strokes. Students are welcome to consult with their instructors who will aid them in achieving whatever swimming goals they may have!

                 No matter your age or skill, Five Star Swim School has a place for you! Contact the location nearest you to schedule a trial class to see where you should be placed prior to enrollment. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Eatontown, NJ – 732-380-1140 // Eatontown@fivestarswimschool.com

Edison, NJ – 732-902-2267 // Edison@fivestarswimschool.com

Lehigh Valley, PA – 610-351-0017 // LehighValley@fivestarswimschool.com

 Princeton, NJ – 609-212-2122 // Princeton@fivestarswimschool.com (OPENING THIS SPRING)

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