As a mother of two teens who is deeply passionate about water safety, I’ve experienced the ups and downs of traditional swim lessons. Over the years, I enrolled my children in group lessons, private sessions, and even swim team programs here in Reno-Tahoe. While each had its merits, I often found myself frustrated. My kids spent more time playing at the wall than learning in the water, and their progress was slow.
As a swim instructor myself, I tried teaching them, but as many parents know, teaching your own children presents unique challenges. That’s why discovering Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) in 2020 was a revelation. I was amazed at how quickly ISR builds water competence and confidence in children as young as six months.
In late 2024, I partnered with Liz Freeman to bring ISR lessons to the Reno-Tahoe area, and I’m thrilled to offer this program to local families. ISR is different from traditional swim lessons in many ways. Here are the top five reasons ISR stands apart:
1. ISR Prioritizes Survival Skills Over Play
Unlike many traditional programs, ISR lessons focus on teaching children lifesaving skills before introducing water as a fun environment. Toys and flotation devices, commonly used in other lessons, may hinder skill development. Instead, ISR instructors teach:
- Breath control
- Short 3-4 second swims
- Independent floating
These essential skills equip children to survive in the water, making ISR lessons uniquely effective.
2. Faster Skill Acquisition Through Daily Lessons
ISR’s lesson schedule is designed to maximize learning. Traditional group lessons often occur once or twice a week for 30 minutes. However, in a class of four children, your child gets only 7.5 minutes of instruction per week. Even private lessons are typically 30 minutes, 1-2 times a week.
ISR takes a different approach:
- Daily private lessons (10 minutes each, Monday through Friday)
- Sessions lasting at least six weeks
In just six weeks, your child receives 300 minutes of private instruction. To achieve the same amount of one-on-one time in group lessons, it would take up to 40 weeks! This structure helps young children, who have short attention spans and tire quickly, make rapid progress.
3. Emotions Are Part of the Process
It’s common for children to cry during ISR lessons. This can be unsettling for parents, but there’s a reason for it:
- Young children often cry as a form of communication, especially in new or challenging situations.
- Unlike traditional swim instructors, ISR instructors are trained not to comfort or distract children when they cry. Doing so can reinforce the behavior and delay learning.
Instead, ISR instructors focus on building trust and helping children develop skills. Most children stop crying as they gain confidence and understand what’s being asked of them.
4. ISR Lessons Offer More Value Than You Think
At first glance, ISR lessons might seem more expensive. However, when you break it down, the cost per minute of private instruction is actually lower than traditional group lessons.
Here’s the math:
- ISR lessons: $3.40 per minute of private instruction (total cost: $1,125 for 300 minutes, including the registration fee).
- Group lessons: $3.66 per minute of one-on-one time (total cost: $1,155 for 300 minutes, based on a leading swim school in Reno).
Additionally, ISR lessons teach survival skills faster, giving your child critical protection against drowning—the leading cause of death for children under age 4. That peace of mind is truly priceless.
5. Guaranteed Results
At ISR Reno-Tahoe, we’re confident in our program’s effectiveness. That’s why we guarantee your child will become a skilled survival swimmer with age-appropriate skills:
- Rollback-to-float for children 6 months to walking
- Swim-float-swim for children walking through age 6
If your child needs more than 30 lessons in a session to achieve these skills, additional lessons are free. Do any other swim programs in Reno or Lake Tahoe offer a guarantee like this?
Why Choose ISR for Your Family?
As both a parent and an instructor, I believe ISR is the most effective way to teach children water safety and survival skills. If you’re ready to give your child the gift of confidence and competence in the water, contact us to learn more or enroll in lessons today.
If you have any additional questions about ISR lessons, please email me!
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