Frequently Asked Questions

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ISR lessons are designed for children 6 months to 6 years old. Infants should be able to roll from their stomach to a seated position independently, as this developmental milestone ensures they are ready to participate safely.

Even if your child is older than 6, we can discuss options — ISR skills can benefit any child willing to learn. Starting early helps build foundational water safety skills and confidence, but older children can also progress quickly with personalized instruction.

Lessons are 5 days per week, each lasting no more than 10 minutes.

Short, frequent sessions are more effective than longer, less frequent lessons for young children.

This schedule:

• Builds muscle memory and confidence gradually
• Matches the attention span of infants and toddlers
• Minimizes fatigue while maximizing skill retention
   

Although brief, each lesson is highly focused and life-saving, giving your child individualized instruction from a certified ISR instructor.

Yes! Every child has one-on-one instruction in the water. Lessons are scheduled back-to-back, so you’ll see other families before or after your child, but during the lesson, your child has exclusive attention from the instructor.

If you enroll more than one child, lessons can be scheduled back-to-back, but children will not be in the water at the same time. This ensures each child receives focused instruction tailored to their abilities.

ISR lessons are designed to teach life-saving self-rescue skills first:

• Infants and new walkers: Roll onto their back, float independently, control breathing, and stay calm in water
• Older children (walking to 6 years): Swim underwater, rotate to float to rest and breathe, and continue swimming to a point of security (pool edge, stairs, shoreline) or until help arrives (swim-float-swim)

Unlike traditional swim lessons, ISR focuses on survival skills over strokes, ensuring children can stay safe even before developing conventional swimming techniques.

Most children achieve basic self-rescue skills in about 6 weeks of consistent lessons. Some may progress faster, while others may need a week or two more.

Children are never “checked out” until they demonstrate competency and confidence, ensuring they leave lessons prepared for real-life water situations.

Yes! Developed in 1966 by Dr. Harvey Barnett, ISR combines research in child development, psychology, and physiology. It is considered the safest and most effective survival swimming program for infants and young children worldwide.

Key safety measures include:

• One-on-one instruction with certified instructors
• Rigorous instructor training and annual recertification
• Simulated water entries and falls, never throwing children into the water
• Monitoring for fatigue and body temperature during lessons
   

Your child’s well-being is the top priority, and lessons are structured to gradually build skills, confidence, and independence in the water.

ISR lessons are designed to significantly reduce drowning risk by teaching children self-rescue skills, but no program replaces:

• Constant supervision 
• Pool safety measures (fencing, locks, alarms)
• CPR knowledge

ISR is one layer of a multi-layered approach to water safety, giving children skills to survive if they accidentally enter water unsupervised.

Flotation devices can give children a false sense of security and interfere with learning true survival skills.

Risks include:

• Encouraging vertical positions, which mimic drowning movements
• Giving parents a false sense of safety, reducing vigilance
• Preventing children from learning independent floating and swimming
   

Properly fitted life jackets should be used  in open water and/or on boats.

Yes. Since most accidental water entries happen in clothing, practicing survival skills fully clothed prepares children for realistic scenarios.

This helps them:

• Understand how water affects movement
• Avoid panic in emergencies
• Develop proper floating and swimming techniques

Clothing lessons are part of the check out process and are done at the end of a session once your child is skilled.

Crying and apprehension are completely normal during the first lessons. New experiences — a new instructor, new pool, and new skills — can feel overwhelming.

ISR gradually builds trust and confidence, and most children settle in quickly. As competence grows, fun emerges naturally, and many children become excited and eager to practice.

 This is common, especially for children who previously used floaties. ISR instructors assess each child individually and use gentle, structured methods to gradually build comfort.

Confidence increases with skill, and children who initially resist putting their face in the water often become comfortable and even enjoy lessons once they feel capable.

Parents are watching and cheering from poolside during early lessons. This allows children to focus and instructors to teach effectively.

Once children demonstrate independent survival skills, parents are invited into the pool to:

• Practice skills together
• Reinforce techniques safely at home
• Learn strategies to supervise and maintain water safety

Children grow quickly, so their body size, coordination, and skill level change over time. 

We offer:

• Maintenance lessons: Usually once per month to reinforce skills
• Refresher sessions: Two-week programs before summer or vacations
   

These lessons ensure children retain skills and adjust to growth, maintaining confidence and competency.

ISR is an investment in life-saving skills. Your child receives:

• Private, one-on-one instruction
• Lessons 5 days per week
• A structured program to achieve independent survival skills in 6–8 weeks
   

Traditional swim lessons are group-based, meet once per week, and take much longer to develop independent swimming. With ISR, your child learns skills that could literally save their life.

The sooner, the better! 

Early lessons:

• Build confidence and foundational water safety skills
• Prepare children for swim-float-swim as they grow
• Can be reinforced with maintenance or refresher lessons before summer or vacations
   

Even older children can benefit and quickly gain valuable survival skills.

Beyond water safety, ISR lessons help children develop:

• Confidence and independence
• Positive self-concept and resilience
• Improved coordination, focus, and stamina
• A sense of accomplishment and pride