SWIM LESSON FLOW CHART
Which swim class is my child ready for?
PRESCHOOL: 3-5 YEARS
CAN YOUR CHILD...
1
Be comfortable in the water without you and are you comfortable
with your child in the water without you?
NOT
YET
PARENT
PIKE
2
Go underwater without plugging their nose repeatedly
on request?
NOT
YET
PIKE
3
Float on their front and back, swim 5 feet on their front
unassisted and are comfortable using pool noodles unassisted?
NOT
YET
SUPER
PIKE
4
Swim 15 feet on their front with rhythmic breathing and float on
their back on their own?
NOT
YET
EEL
NOT
YET
RAY
NOT
YET
POLLIWOG
YES
YES
YES
YES
Swim crawl stroke and elementary backstroke 30 feet?
5STARFISH
YES
STARFISH
SCHOOL AGE: 6-12 YEARS
CAN YOUR CHILD...
1
Paddle 5-10 feet independently?
2
Front paddle on their own for 20 feet with their face in the water,
lift their head and take a breath, and float on their back unassisted?
NOT
YET
SUPER
POLLIWOG
3
Swim 12 1/2 yards crawl stroke with side breathing?
NOT
YET
GUPPY
4
Swim crawl stroke with side breathing 25 yards and kick 25
yards on their back?
NOT
YET
SUPER
GUPPY
5
Swim 50 yards of crawl stroke and back stroke, and knows what
breast stroke is?
NOT
YET
MINNOW
6
Swim 100 yards of crawl stroke, back stroke and breast stroke?
NOT
YET
FISH
7
Swim 100+ yards of crawl stroke, breast stroke and back stroke,
and knows flip turns and can complete 25 yards of basic butterfly?
NOT
YET
FLYING
FISH
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
SHARK
YMCA OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY
Mill Creek Family Branch
13723 Puget Park Drive, Everett, WA 98208
P 425 337 0123 www.ymca-snoco.org/millcreek
Effective June 2014
The Y is for everyone. Financial assistance is available.
* Program Member must pay annual program membership fee of $25 per individual or
$50 per family to participate. Please see the program guide or visit our website for details.
SWIM LESSON LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS
PRESCHOOL
Parent Pike: This alternative to the Pike class is a great transition for those children who are not yet comfortable
going into a group class with an instructor. Children will learn basic paddle stroke skills, kicking skills, pool safety,
and correct flotation device use.
Pike: This level helps children develop safe pool behavior, adjust to the water, and develop independent movement
in the water. It is designed for new swimmers, teaching basic paddle stroke and kicking skills, pool safety, proper
use of IFD’s and PFD’s, and comfort with holding the face in the water while blowing bubbles and swimming.
Super Pike: This level is to help those Pikes who have acclimated to the water, but are not quite ready to move up
to Eel. A Super Pike will go under water without plugging nose upon request, but is not yet floating on front or back
independently.
Eel: This advanced beginner level reinforces Pike skills. It is for children who are comfortable in the water. They are
taught to kick, float, and perform the progressive paddle stroke. They also learn basic boating safety and use PFD’s.
Children can swim across the pool without assistance by the end of this level.
Ray: At this level children review previous skills, improve stroke skills, learn more personal safety and rescue skills,
build endurance by swimming on their front and back, and learn to tread water. Children can swim across the pool
on their front and back without assistance by the end of the level.
Starfish: Children at this level review previously learned skills and refine their strokes as well as their personal
safety, rescue, and floating skills. They also learn underwater swimming skills. Children can swim a length of the
pool on their front and back at the end of this level.
SCHOOL AGE
Polliwog: This is the beginning level for school-age children. It gets children acquainted with the pool, the use of
flotation devices, and floating. By the end of this level, they should know the front paddle stroke, side and back
paddle, and some synchronized swimming and wetball (lead-up game to water polo) movements.
Super Polliwog: This level is to help those polliwogs who have acclimated to the water, but are not quite ready to
move up to Guppy. A Super Polliwog can paddle 5-10 feet independently, but is not yet demonstrating rhythmic
breathing which allows for greater distances of swimming.
Guppy: The children continue to practice and build upon basic skills, now performing more skills without the aid of
a floatation device. They are introduced to lead-up strokes to the front and back crawl, sidestroke, breaststroke,
and elementary backstroke. More synchronized swimming and wetball skills are taught.
Super Guppy: In this level children have learned the technical component of side breathing in Guppy and are
focusing on the endurance needed for Minnow. Children can swim a length of the pool with side breathing at the
end of this level. Children can swim a length of the pool without assistance at the end of this level.
Minnow: This is the initial intermediate level. The children further refine the lead-up strokes they have learned as
their skills become more like those normally used in swimming. They learn more skills in synchronized swimming,
wetball, personal safety, boating and rescue.
Fish: At this point, students work to perform the crawl stroke, elementary backstroke, back crawl stroke, and the
sidestroke, with turns. They are introduced to the butterfly stroke. They continue learning additional synchronized
swimming movements, and wetball skills. They continue to learn personal safety skills, boating and rescue skills.
They are also introduced to the use of mask and fins.
Flying Fish: At this advanced level, students work on refining their strokes and increasing their endurance. They
develop the ability to perform more complex combinations of synchronized swimming movements and develop better
wetball playing skills. They also are introduced to the use of a snorkel. They learn about boating safety, personal
safety, and rescue procedures.
Shark: The students at this level continue to improve their strokes with starts and turns and are introduced to the
inverted breaststroke, the trudgen crawl, and the overarm sidestroke. Opportunities are provided for further work
on synchronized swimming, wetball, and snorkeling, as well as personal safety, boating safety and rescue skills.
Effective June 2014
Modified 7/8/14