One aspect that makes our swim school unique is that we utilize hands-on instruction in all of our lessons. While most other programs involve a lot of coaching and verbal instructions in their lessons, our instructors spend a lot of time providing hands-on support for our swimmers, which creates immediate success. In other words, we show you through modeling and kinesthetic/hands-on learning, instead of just telling you, which can go in one ear and out the other, especially if the swimmer has a learning disability.  Hands-on learning activates the senses and reaches an array of learning styles. For the last 39 years at the Farnsworth Swim School, our proven hands-on method has been accelerating swimmers’ progress because it builds muscle memory and is an integral part of our accelerated learning program.

One of the reasons that our hands-on technique is so successful is because many swimming movements are unfamiliar and take a lot of practice to master. For example, many new swimmers often have trouble learning the correct technique for freestyle arm stroke. Instead of just telling our students how to do it, we hold the students’ hands and move their arms for them. This allows the student to feel the correct technique right from the beginning, which then ensures that when they do it on their own, they will practice it properly. Not only does this save time that could be wasted practicing the incorrect technique, but it helps the student create the muscle memory needed to then build upon their stroke and learn more complex skills.

Another benefit of utilizing hands-on instruction is that it is very engaging for students. Swimmers are able to get immediate feedback and feel exactly how their body will feel when they are performing a stroke correctly. First, this helps students feel successful and capable right away, which encourages them to keep trying. Additionally, this technique provides kinesthetic learning, and the movements form deep neurological connections within the brain. This also refines their gross and fine-motor skills, which are getting lost more and more due to technology. This helps to form muscle memory more quickly, and helps improve coordination. 

As you can see, hands-on instruction is a very effective technique that we utilize daily at Farnsworth Swim School. Whether we are teaching toddlers or adults, this strategy helps swimmers progress quickly and gain the confidence they need to be successful!