Frequently Asked Questions

Founded in 1966 by Dr. Harvey Barnett, Infant Swimming Resource is the industry leading provider of self rescue survival swimming lessons for infants and young children. The skills students learn in ISR lessons are designed to help children save their own lives in the event of an aquatic emergency. Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) is a company, not a method or instruction of teaching. Not all survival swimming lessons are ISR lessons.

ISR lessons will always be held 5 days a week for approximately 10 minutes each day, for an average of 6-8 weeks. This is the standard ISR format that East Sac ISR is contractually obligated to provide. Short and more frequent lessons result in a higher retention rate for such young students. Short lessons are also a safety precaution. Students work hard in lessons and this can result in physical and/or temperature fatigue. ISR instructors will always monitor students for both physical and temperature fatigue to ensure lessons remain safe and effective.

All ISR students, regardless of age, will learn ISR self rescue aquatic survival skills. Children 6 months to approximately 20 months of age focus on teaching the child to roll onto their back to float, rest and breathe, and to be able to maintain this life-saving position until help arrives. Lessons for children approximately 20 months and up focus on teaching the swim-float-swim survival sequence. Children learn to swim with their head down; roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe; and roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool, where they can either crawl out or until they can be rescued.

Children as young as 6 months old are capable of learning ISR self rescue skills. Students must be at least 6 months old AND sitting independently prior to registering for lessons. There is no maximum age limit.

Yes! Infant Swimming Resource is the safest provider of survival swimming lessons. A medical review of all students registered for ISR lessons is conducted to ensure that each student does receive the safest and most effective lesson each day. Medical history as well as physical and cognitive development is taken into account by each instructor. There is a common misconception that ISR instructors will throw students into the pool. Please rest assured that a certified Infant Swimming Resource instructor will never throw, drop, or otherwise conduct questionable, unsafe practices during lessons.

Based on our research, we know that refresher lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and physically during the first 4-5 years of life. It is important that their water survival skills grow with their bodies.

Frequency depends on the child's age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The goal of refresher lessons is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and weight to his/her existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building efficiency, which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important if your child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill between seasons.

ISR claims a retention rate of 94-100% up to one year following lessons. Having said this, children will explore and may pick up bad habits watching other children or with interference like floating in a bathtub or playing on the steps. As your child goes through lessons, you will begin to understand, through communication with your Instructor, what activities may interfere with his/her learned Self-Rescue skills. Contacting and/or returning to your instructor in a timely manner is imperative to maintaining effective habits.

Students will not forget their skills, but self rescue skills can be “undone” or interfered with. Once enrolled in lessons, parents and caregivers will receive more information about how to ensure self rescue skills remain sharp.

During the last week of lessons, once students are fully skilled, lessons in clothing will be conducted. 86% of children who unexpectedly fall into water are fully clothed at the time. ISR lessons give students the opportunity to practice in clothing before an actual emergency.

It is possible that children will cry during their first few lessons. Big emotions do not prevent children from learning self rescue skills. In the event of an emergency, crying may also help notify an adult of an emergency.

All certified ISR instructors will be able to produce proof of their annual Infant Swimming Resource certification, will always use an email address ending in @infantswim.com, and will usually be listed on the instructor locator at www.infantswim.com.

Please feel free to contact me by email with any additional questions.