ISR FAQs
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
We are in Eastern Boca Raton off of 2nd Avenue between Glades and Palmetto Park Roads. We are an indoor, heated, salt system pool.
WHY ARE LESSONS ONLY 10 MINUTES MAXIMUM?
We work within the child’s energy level and even 10 minutes can make a child tired when they are learning new things and using muscles they may have never used before. As well, retention of skills is best when lessons are given in short duration and high frequency so that we can create muscle memory, much like riding a bike.
WHY ARE LESSONS 5 DAYS A WEEK?
This again goes to skill retention being built into your child’s muscle fibers. The more practice and use of the previously learned skills, the faster we can progress to the complimentary skills that follow.
ARE THESE GROUP LESSONS?
No, ISR lessons are always taught on a one-on-one and individualized basis so your child gets 100% of the attention in their lesson with an approach customized to how they learn best.
DO THE INSTRUCTORS TRAVEL TO MY HOME POOL?
No, lessons are conducted at our facility as it allows for a consistent learning environment where we monitor our chemicals multiple times a day and can keep your home pool as the place for fun. Our pool is a place to learn and work.
DO PARENTS GET IN THE WATER?
During our teaching, we do not have parents get in the pool. You are their poolside cheerleader. Once we have established skills, your instructor may invite you in the water once or twice to set you up for success when swimming with your little one.
AFTER MY CHILD’S INITIAL SET OF LESSONS, DO THEY NEED FOLLOW UP?
We teach your child in the body they come to us in. As their bodies grow and change, we do recommend 1-2x a month maintenance to keep up on their growth and/or behaviors they have begun at home that may not be conducive to their previously learned self-rescue skills. We also offer skill advancement sessions to take your child to the next developmentally appropriate swimming level.
WILL MY CHILD FORGET THESE SKILLS?
Since we teach on a sensorimotor level just as a child first learns to crawl, walk, or ride a bike your child will not forget the skills they learn. However, as their body grows they may need slight adjustments to these skills, just as when you learned to ride a bike, as you got bigger your seat or handle bars would need adjustment. The only thing that will impede your child’s skills is what we call interference. Interference comes from the use of flotation devices after learning and inappropriate play time at home.
WILL MY CHILD CRY DURING LESSONS?
With most of our students lacking the ability to fully verbally communicate, the easiest way for them to let you as their parent know that they are experiencing something that feels new and different is to cry. We are strangers to them, we are non-verbally asking them to do something new, and they want your attention. Crying is a very normal part of the learning process for a child not yet fully verbal. However, as they grow to know and trust us, start believing in their skills, you’ll see the cries more often than not turn to smiles and high fives. However, you know your child best, if they cry when not with you, odds are, the crying will linger but this will never impact your time in the pool with them at home.
WILL MY CHILD HATE THE WATER?
No, we take every effort to work at your child’s pace and never move them too quickly as this will cause an aversion. Each step of the way, we are reinforcing your little one for what they are learning. They may not love coming for lessons each day just as you may not love leg day at the gym and that is okay. Time spent in the water with you will never feel like work as long as you follow the guidance we share with you throughout the ISR process.
WHY DOES ISR NEED MY CHILD’S MEDICAL INFORMATION?
We need to know that every lessons is conducted in the safest manner possible, this requires understanding the whole child- including all developmental and health information. Some children require additional protocols to keep their lessons even safer and we want to be sure we do our part.
DO YOU TEACH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES?
We do! With our thorough registration review, our medical staff can determine your child’s readiness for lessons. Sometimes this requires more information from you or your child’s physician.
HOW IS ISR DIFFERENT THAN TRADITIONAL LESSONS?
ISR teaches self-rescue skills to children starting at 6 months old. We teach purely on a level that allows the child to be successful without verbal instruction so that they know exactly what to do whether the instructor is there or not. They know how to properly respond to the water and the cause and effect relationship of their bodies while in it. Our program steps in for when the wall or shore is too far to swim towards. Every child needs to know how to solve this problem, traditional lessons do not provide the solution.
WHAT TRAINING DO ISR INSTRUCTORS HAVE?
ISR Instructors go through an extensive training process that includes a minimum of 6 weeks in water with a Master Instructor working hands on with students daily, Monday through Friday. As well, the academic component that is required includes: child psychology, anatomy, and physiology. Our Instructors need to be insured and be current on CPR/First Aid/AED certification.
WITH SAFETY SKILLS BEING A PRIORITY, WILL MY CHILD ACTUALLY LEARN TO SWIM?
Yes! Children that can walk need to know how to swim. This swim however will look different on each child. Children closer to age 2 will learn to swim-float-swim, younger toddlers will learn swim-float-stay meaning that if they are not close enough after their first swim, they will stay on their back until picked up. Our pre-walkers can only learn rollback to float as they do not have the ability yet to pull themselves out of he water which makes the swimming skills at this developmental level dangerous and floating the safest option for them.
WHY DO CHILDREN NEED TO HAVE LESSONS IN CLOTHING?
Over 80% of the time an aquatic incident happens, it is when the child was not planned to be swimming and are therefore in clothing. Once skilled in their swimsuit, it is essential for your child to feel the difference while safely, at an arms distance of their instructor, in their clothing.
WHY DOES IT TAKE 6-7 WEEKS FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN THESE SKILLS?
This time frame is an estimate as we work with each child at the pace that is just right for them. Some children will finish in 6 weeks, some may need a few extra lessons for them to show mastery.
WHAT IS ISR’S POSITION ON FLOATIES OR LIFE JACKETS?
Flotation devices, such as puddle jumpers or noodles create a false sense of security for your child that just might have them enter the water expecting they can do the same with or without the device. These devices teach the child to assume a vertical position (also known as the drowning position) to attain their air. This is counterproductive to effective swimming and floating postures. If your child thinks they can swim by way of a flotation device, your child is at higher risk of drowning and may take longer to teach to compensate for poorly taught body postures from the use of the device. Life jackets however are required on open water while traveling by boat. Be sure to have a US Coast Guard Approved life jacket and to let your Instructor know that your family boats often as we will want to test the efficacy of your life jacket in a lesson situation.
We are in Eastern Boca Raton off of 2nd Avenue between Glades and Palmetto Park Roads. We are an indoor, heated, salt system pool.
WHY ARE LESSONS ONLY 10 MINUTES MAXIMUM?
We work within the child’s energy level and even 10 minutes can make a child tired when they are learning new things and using muscles they may have never used before. As well, retention of skills is best when lessons are given in short duration and high frequency so that we can create muscle memory, much like riding a bike.
WHY ARE LESSONS 5 DAYS A WEEK?
This again goes to skill retention being built into your child’s muscle fibers. The more practice and use of the previously learned skills, the faster we can progress to the complimentary skills that follow.
ARE THESE GROUP LESSONS?
No, ISR lessons are always taught on a one-on-one and individualized basis so your child gets 100% of the attention in their lesson with an approach customized to how they learn best.
DO THE INSTRUCTORS TRAVEL TO MY HOME POOL?
No, lessons are conducted at our facility as it allows for a consistent learning environment where we monitor our chemicals multiple times a day and can keep your home pool as the place for fun. Our pool is a place to learn and work.
DO PARENTS GET IN THE WATER?
During our teaching, we do not have parents get in the pool. You are their poolside cheerleader. Once we have established skills, your instructor may invite you in the water once or twice to set you up for success when swimming with your little one.
AFTER MY CHILD’S INITIAL SET OF LESSONS, DO THEY NEED FOLLOW UP?
We teach your child in the body they come to us in. As their bodies grow and change, we do recommend 1-2x a month maintenance to keep up on their growth and/or behaviors they have begun at home that may not be conducive to their previously learned self-rescue skills. We also offer skill advancement sessions to take your child to the next developmentally appropriate swimming level.
WILL MY CHILD FORGET THESE SKILLS?
Since we teach on a sensorimotor level just as a child first learns to crawl, walk, or ride a bike your child will not forget the skills they learn. However, as their body grows they may need slight adjustments to these skills, just as when you learned to ride a bike, as you got bigger your seat or handle bars would need adjustment. The only thing that will impede your child’s skills is what we call interference. Interference comes from the use of flotation devices after learning and inappropriate play time at home.
WILL MY CHILD CRY DURING LESSONS?
With most of our students lacking the ability to fully verbally communicate, the easiest way for them to let you as their parent know that they are experiencing something that feels new and different is to cry. We are strangers to them, we are non-verbally asking them to do something new, and they want your attention. Crying is a very normal part of the learning process for a child not yet fully verbal. However, as they grow to know and trust us, start believing in their skills, you’ll see the cries more often than not turn to smiles and high fives. However, you know your child best, if they cry when not with you, odds are, the crying will linger but this will never impact your time in the pool with them at home.
WILL MY CHILD HATE THE WATER?
No, we take every effort to work at your child’s pace and never move them too quickly as this will cause an aversion. Each step of the way, we are reinforcing your little one for what they are learning. They may not love coming for lessons each day just as you may not love leg day at the gym and that is okay. Time spent in the water with you will never feel like work as long as you follow the guidance we share with you throughout the ISR process.
WHY DOES ISR NEED MY CHILD’S MEDICAL INFORMATION?
We need to know that every lessons is conducted in the safest manner possible, this requires understanding the whole child- including all developmental and health information. Some children require additional protocols to keep their lessons even safer and we want to be sure we do our part.
DO YOU TEACH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES?
We do! With our thorough registration review, our medical staff can determine your child’s readiness for lessons. Sometimes this requires more information from you or your child’s physician.
HOW IS ISR DIFFERENT THAN TRADITIONAL LESSONS?
ISR teaches self-rescue skills to children starting at 6 months old. We teach purely on a level that allows the child to be successful without verbal instruction so that they know exactly what to do whether the instructor is there or not. They know how to properly respond to the water and the cause and effect relationship of their bodies while in it. Our program steps in for when the wall or shore is too far to swim towards. Every child needs to know how to solve this problem, traditional lessons do not provide the solution.
WHAT TRAINING DO ISR INSTRUCTORS HAVE?
ISR Instructors go through an extensive training process that includes a minimum of 6 weeks in water with a Master Instructor working hands on with students daily, Monday through Friday. As well, the academic component that is required includes: child psychology, anatomy, and physiology. Our Instructors need to be insured and be current on CPR/First Aid/AED certification.
WITH SAFETY SKILLS BEING A PRIORITY, WILL MY CHILD ACTUALLY LEARN TO SWIM?
Yes! Children that can walk need to know how to swim. This swim however will look different on each child. Children closer to age 2 will learn to swim-float-swim, younger toddlers will learn swim-float-stay meaning that if they are not close enough after their first swim, they will stay on their back until picked up. Our pre-walkers can only learn rollback to float as they do not have the ability yet to pull themselves out of he water which makes the swimming skills at this developmental level dangerous and floating the safest option for them.
WHY DO CHILDREN NEED TO HAVE LESSONS IN CLOTHING?
Over 80% of the time an aquatic incident happens, it is when the child was not planned to be swimming and are therefore in clothing. Once skilled in their swimsuit, it is essential for your child to feel the difference while safely, at an arms distance of their instructor, in their clothing.
WHY DOES IT TAKE 6-7 WEEKS FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN THESE SKILLS?
This time frame is an estimate as we work with each child at the pace that is just right for them. Some children will finish in 6 weeks, some may need a few extra lessons for them to show mastery.
WHAT IS ISR’S POSITION ON FLOATIES OR LIFE JACKETS?
Flotation devices, such as puddle jumpers or noodles create a false sense of security for your child that just might have them enter the water expecting they can do the same with or without the device. These devices teach the child to assume a vertical position (also known as the drowning position) to attain their air. This is counterproductive to effective swimming and floating postures. If your child thinks they can swim by way of a flotation device, your child is at higher risk of drowning and may take longer to teach to compensate for poorly taught body postures from the use of the device. Life jackets however are required on open water while traveling by boat. Be sure to have a US Coast Guard Approved life jacket and to let your Instructor know that your family boats often as we will want to test the efficacy of your life jacket in a lesson situation.
