There are 9 levels that make up the swim program at Farnsworth Swim School. Once a student has graduated from the beginning tadpole level, they are then considered a “goldfish.” The goldfish level continues to focus on water safety and builds upon the skills learned as a tadpole.
Goldfish students will continue to work on becoming more comfortable in the water. Swimmers will learn to bob up and down in the water, practicing the rhythm of their breathing. They will also practice jumping into the deep end and swimming to the wall. While tadpoles focus on the most basic skills, goldfish will practice treading water and rolling from their back to their belly and vice versa. These students learn the skills that will enable them to become even safer in the water.
A significant difference between the tadpole and goldfish levels is that students at the goldfish level begin to learn backstroke in addition to freestyle. These swimmers have already learned to float on their backs, so they build upon this skill and continue to work on their balance by adding kicks and arm strokes. They will not master backstroke at this level, but will just begin to swim a few feet on their back without sinking.
These swimmers also learn how to take a breath during freestyle. At this level, they learn to breathe by lifting their head up out of the water. This allows these students to swim farther distances since they no longer need to hold their breath. It’s during the goldfish/level 1 that swimmers become water safe.
In order to master the goldfish level, swimmers must be able to push off of the steps and swim freestyle with arms, kicks, and breaths for at least 10 feet. They also must be able to complete at least 5 feet of backstroke independently. Our main goal for all of the lessons is water safety, stroke improvement and to be unrecognizable from where you were before you started the lessons. Once a student graduates from the goldfish level, they enter into Level 1 and beyond! Are you feeling inspired to jump in the water yet?
