FAQ
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
Lessons will be held in Glen Mills at 89 Gradyville Road, Glen Mills, PA 19342 in the Fall, Spring and Winter months and outdoors in Garnet Valley in July & August.
HOW MANY DAYS PER WEEK/HOW MANY WEEKS ARE LESSONS?
Lessons are attended 10 minutes a day, 5 consecutive days a week for approximately 6 weeks. The consistency of daily lessons is critical for learning efficiency. ISR Instructors are teaching highly specialized skills and it is very important to attend class every day.
WILL I HAVE TO GET IN THE WATER?
Parents do not get in the pool for lessons however we encourage parents to sit poolside and cheer on their little ones, as you're their support team. At the end of the session, if you have a pool near Glen Mills I would be happy to do a home lesson and practice in your pool.
Our research shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective and effective teachers in the water. Which is exactly why we are here to help your little one master their ISR Self-Rescue® Skills.
ARE THESE GROUP LESSONS?
Every lesson with ISR is one-on-one and individualized for each student. This means we never have more than one student in the water at a time and keep a 1:1 student to Instructor ratio.
WHY DO YOU HAVE THE CHILDREN DO LESSONS IN CLOTHES?
86% of children, who fall in the water, do so fully clothed, we want our students to have experience with such a situation. If a child has experienced the sensations of being in the water in clothing prior to an emergency situation, he/ she is less likely to experience panic and be able to focus on the task at hand.
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WILL MY CHILD CRY? WHAT ARE THE FIRST FEW LESSONS LIKE?
Children often fuss during the first few lessons because they are in a new environment, learning something new and around new people. As your child becomes more confident in his/her ability in the water, the fussing will decrease.
It is not unlike the first time you tried a new exercise class, or were asked to perform a task at work that you’d never done before. The first time you try a new task it is always challenging, until you get the hang of it. It is the same for your young child.
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We like to tell parents/guardians that if you can make if through the first couple of weeks, it gets easier. Remember everyday at lessons is another day of building in-water confidence and another day closer to your child being fully skilled.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER LESSONS ARE COMPLETE?
Once your child completes the session, he/she is fully skilled to survive an aquatic emergency and in most cases has a successful rollback-to-float or swim-float-swim sequence.
Refresher Lessons are highly recommended every 6-8 months to adjust your child's skills to their growing body. You can come back for refreshers when you are ready/prior to the next swim season. Maintenance lessons are also available, I recommend 1 lesson per month to keep confidence high and skills progressing.
WILL MY CHILD HATE THE WATER?
There is a big difference between being fearful and being apprehensive in an unfamiliar environment.If you were to take your child to the pool, even after they’ve been in lessons with us, they most likely won’t cry. But if you were to take them to the exact same pool and they were to see us in it, now that’s a different story. They know we make them work hard and who voluntarily wants to do that?Â
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 lessons each day at first, but that's okay. Sometimes as a parent you make sure your child does things for his or her SAFETY because you know they are important. The same can be said for ISR.
HOW ARE ISR LESSONS DIFFERENT THAN TRADITIONAL LESSONS?
ISR is the product of over 50+ years of ongoing research. Rather than blow bubbles and sing songs, our primary focus is to make sure each student can SURVIVE in the water and be an aquatic problem solver. We give them real life situations, like using their skills in full clothing, to make sure they are prepared for a real life drowning scenario. Our goal is to always do what is safest for each child and what is best for their survival.