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Enrolling your child in swimming lessons is about more than just simple water safety. While water safety is a critical concern if you’ll have your infant or toddler around water, there are other practical benefits that your young one can realize through swimming instruction. Children who participate in organized swimming lessons see advancements in cognitive ability, motor skills, coordination, and social abilities. There’s no doubting that swimming lessons are a good idea for infants given the range of positive benefits they convey.

However, swimming lessons come in a variety of formats. Some parents opt for a group setting, where children get a chance to socialize with their peers and develop skills such as communication and conflict resolution. Other parents prefer the one-on-one intensive approach of private swim lessons in West-Hills. Both group swimming lessons and private swimming lessons are beneficial to your infant or toddler and deciding between the two styles comes down to a matter of personal preference. Keep reading to see a comparison of group swimming lessons and private swimming lessons.

Group Lessons

Group swimming lessons offer many benefits to both children and their parents. Infants and toddlers who participate in group swimming lessons have ample opportunities to get the full social benefit of the experience because they’ll be learning and playing alongside their peers in the pool. The social aspect of group swimming classes cannot be underestimated. It provides a venue for children to learn group dynamics, conflict resolution, communication, and empathy for others. Group classes are great for children who aren’t apprehensive about the swimming experience and take to social settings with ease.

Many children learn critical skills more efficiently in a group setting because not only do they receive the instruction and get an opportunity to practice their skills, but they get the added benefit of watching other students perform and repeat the movements as well. Learning in a group can increase the confidence of students who already have some foundational skills, since displaying them in front of others can promote a feeling of pride in performance. For those who are providing lessons within a budget, a group class offers the ability to get top-quality instruction at a reduced rate.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are perfect for infants who are completely new to swimming. Many children may feel slight apprehension when they first begin to spend time in the pool and learn the fundamentals of swimming. Putting such students into a group dynamic can cause additional issues with learning and development, at least initially. For students who are still developing confidence and overcoming fear, private lessons are ideal because they allow the instructor to build a bond of trust with the student.

Private lessons are also helpful for beginners because they allow for one-on-one instruction that is focused on the needs of the child. Fundamental skills can be repeated and perfected, and once mastered, will give students confidence and comfort that they can carry seamlessly into a group setting. Specific challenges can be more efficiently overcome with private instruction because there is no distraction for the instructor. The instructor can remain focused on the individual’s needs, which can expedite learning and mastery. Private lessons do come at a slightly increased cost, however. That cost is well worth it to ease newcomers into swimming lessons and increase confidence and comfort level.

If you’re planning to enroll your child in swimming lessons, make sure to consider whether group lessons or private lessons will best serve their needs. Once you’ve decided which is right for your child, contact Swim Right Academy to schedule lessons today.