Are One-To-One Swimming Lessons Better Than Group Lessons?

I would like my children to learn how to swim, and I wonder, are one-to-one swimming lessons better than group lessons? Aliya is 7, and 2 boys aged 6 and 4. In your experience, what do you think is the best way to go about it? Also, my husband cannot swim and would like to learn. Anyone you would recommend? Group or 1 to 1?

Deciding between one-to-one and group swimming lessons is always a trade-off between the amount of tuition time received and cost.

One-to-one lessons are generally more expensive than group lessons because you pay for intense tuition. With that in mind, your children's progress in learning to swim will be much quicker. I guess, at the end of the day, that is really what you are paying for.

The biggest frustration I hear from parents talking about their child and their swimming lessons is that in a group, they have such little attention and are often left holding the side of the pool for some time before being given some guidance and asked to swim.

Don’t get me wrong, group swimming lessons have their place and work well when conducted by a good swimming teacher who controls their class and gets the best out of their pupils.

Group lessons work best for children that can already swim and need technique improvement, as they can all focus on the same aspect of the swimming stroke being practised. For young children and beginners learning to swim, progression in group lessons is much slower than in one-to-one swimming lessons.

It all comes down to your children, and you know them best! You know their current standard of swimming and how each one of them will respond in a group or a one-to-one situation.

I recommend a one-to-one swimming lesson, but the cost is much higher. You may find a swimming teacher that will teach your two boys in a one-to-two lesson, and providing they do not hinder each other, that may work well.

As for your husband, one-to-one lessons are a must for an adult. Every adult is different, more so than children, and the intense tuition in a private lesson always gets the best results.

As for finding a good swimming teacher, the best way is to ask around. Word-of-mouth recommendations are the best. Ask other parents in the playground at school pick-up time. Some of those may be off to their swimming lessons then and there.

I hope you find this information helpful, and I wish your children and husband every success with learning to swim.

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