The American Red Cross program is progressive; each skill builds on the skill mastered in the previous levels. In order to ensure quality programming, it is necessary to successfully complete each level in the progression. Essential swim and safety skills are taught at each level. Skipping or omitting levels may result in your child missing vital skills.

Level 1 - Introduction to Water Skills:  Swimmers will learn to enter and exit the water safely. They willpractice submerging their mouth, nose, and eyes. they will learn how to exhale under water and open their eyes while under water. Swimmers will pick up submerged toys, float on their fronts and backs. They will explore arm movements and kicking, and learn basic water safety skills. 

Level 2 - Fundamental Aquatic Skills: Swimmers should have completed Level 1. They will be practicing and learning: independent entry and exits from the pool, rolling from front to back, swimming on side, treading water, full body submersion, front and back glides, and combined strokes using arms and legs together.

Level 3 - Stroke Development: Swimmers should have completed Level 2. They will be learning how to jump in to water over their head, perform survival floats, dolphin kick and body motion. Swimmers will practice rotary breathing with front crawl, develop their back crawl and begin to learn elementary backstroke. 

Level 4 - Stroke Improvement: Swimmers who have completed Level 3 will be practicing front crawl, back crawl, and elementary back stroke. They will learn Breast stroke, Butterfly, scissors kick, and safety for beginning diving.
 

Level 5 - Stroke Refinement: Swimmers who have complete Level 4 will contiue practice and endurance for each of the previous strokes. They will begin dives at a deck level and surface dives from with in the water. They will learn flip turns and finsih learning side stroke. 

Level 6 - Swimming and Skill Proficiency: Swimmer should have complete all prior Levels. Class participants and instructors will choose a module to focus on: Personal Water Safety, Lifeguard Readiness, Fitness Swimming, or Fundamentals of Diving. Each section has stroke refinement, endurance and specific skills to practice.