TEACHING A CHILD TO SWIM.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 4, 9 April 1920, Page 15

TEACHING A CHILD TO SWIM.

While thero are children who learn to swim in babyhood, it is the general experfence that between the agea of ten a/id fourteen years is the proper period for acqairing this art. Before ten, according to many authorities, the muscles are rarely strong enough to enable a child to swim. It is really such. a neceseary part of a boy's education — and a girl'a too, for that matter — that one fecU astonished nowadays to learn of an adult who cannot swim. The following rules for the novice in the water are given : — ""With the lungs full of air, a person rray float in salt water submerged to about the nose. He can exist on this amctmt of air from 45 seconds V) two or three minutes, according to his 1'ing capacity. The slightest motion of the arms and legs in a downward direction will bring the mouth clear of the water. "This breathing exercise, which can hesfc he practised in deep water, is the fwndamenial step of the whole thing. Once the knack of filling up with air at the proper time is aequired the pupil gains confidence and self-possession. "In the beginning all movements sheuki be made slowly. It is fighting the water that drags a drowning man bei.eath the surface. "Use no pariicular stroke other than ti e nalrtral paddling. Always keep the body and head parallel to Ihe surface of the water, lifting the face and inhaling only when necessary. If the swnnmer attempts to keep the head above the water the body will offer more resistance to the ahead movement than when lying in the plane of its surface." A famons way to teach a child to swim is to suspend him from the end of a eticng pole, sueli as a hoat hook. A rope attached to the end of the pole has the other end formed into a noose which is placed round the child's body under his arms. Then the swimming instructor stands on a dock or runway and holds ihe pole like a fishing rod. The child sinks ir. the water as far as the instructor considers wise, but, of course, there is no danger, as he can be pulled up at any moment, When he starts to paddle and so keeps himself up in the water to some extent the rope becomes sla-ck and the instructor then knows that the child is beginning to learn. He can then say to the beginner, "You were swimming then; you swam 10 or 12 strokes." The child probably did not realise that he really was swimming, but when he finds out that he has done so it increases his confidence. The child is more likely to retain self-control by this method than when others are used, hecause his first efforts to swim will be almost utic onscious. With other methods he very often becomes excited and begins to fight the water. This lesson is more effective when given in deep water, where buoyancy heips to

keep the child up. The breast stroke, believed by many to be the only proper one for a beginner has three leg movements : — ■ Eirst : Legs drawn up under body, knees apart and bent, soles flat, just ur.der the water surface. Second : Outward kick from hips as far and as hard as possible. Third : Bring the feet together as nearly as possible with energy', soles turned inward a little. The arm mcAremente are : First: Place hands under chin, then thrust them oat quickly but firmly, directly forward ; thumbs under first fingers, knuckles bent a little so that when hands are brought together a holhow is formed by t^e- palms. Second : Spread the arms apart as far a* possible ; keep hands below the surface of water. Third : Bring hands together under chin as before first movement. Children may practise these movements out of the water, first learning the arm 'movements and then clinging to the side of -a veranda or some similar support while learning the leg movement. Such efforts are bound to strengthen the muscles and lead to self-confidence.