Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Levels 1 to 6 (ages 5 and up) Course Descriptions

Level 1 (ages 5 and up) - Introduction to Aquatic Skills
Participants, ages 5 and up, become comfortable in the water learning basic skills.

Skills performed with assistance include:

• Enter and exit the water safely
• Submerge and explore underwater
• Glide on front and back
• Float on back
• Explore treading
• Roll over: front to back/back to front
• Swim on front and back 5 yd.

Exit Skills:

• Enter unassisted, move 5 yd., bob 4 times and exit the water.
• Front glide 2 yd., roll to back and float 5 sec., recover to vertical.

Registration tip: Upon completion of required skills register for Level 2.

If you completed Swim America Pre-K or Level 1 or 2 and are at least 5 years old, children should register for Learn to Swim Level 1.

Level 2 - Fundamental Aquatic Skills
Participants, ages 5 and up, experience success with fundamental skills.

Skills include:

• Jump into shoulder-deep water
• Breath control, bobbing and rotary breathing
• Float and glide on front and back
• Roll over: front to back/back to front
• Change direction while swimming
• Tread water, 15 sec.
• Swim on front and back, 15 yd.

Exit Skills:

• Jump into shoulder-deep water, tread water or float 15 sec., swim on front and/or back for 5 yd. and exit the water.
• Back float 15 sec., roll to front and recover to a vertical position.
• Swim on front 5 yd., roll to back and float 15 sec., roll to front and continue swimming 5 yd.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed Preschool 2 or Level 1 or have equivalent skills.

Registration tip: Upon completion of required skills register for Level 3.

If you completed Swim America Level 3 or 4 and are at least 5 years old, children should register for Learn to Swim Level 2.

Level 3 - Stroke Development
Participants, ages 5 and up, achieve basic swimming competency learning front crawl and elementary backstroke.

Skills include:

• Jump into deep water
• Kneeling dive
• Survival float, back float and tread water
• Breaststroke kick, dolphin kick, scissors kick, 25 yd. each
• Front crawl and elementary backstroke, 15 yd. each

Exit Skills:

• Jump into deep water, tread water or float for one minute, rotate one full turn and swim front crawl or elementary backstroke 25 yd.
• Swim front crawl, 15 yd. and elementary backstroke 15 yd.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed Level 2 or have equivalent skills.

Registration tip: Upon completion of required skills register for Level 4.

If you completed Swim America Level 5 and are at least 5 years old, children should register for Learn to Swim Level 3.

Level 4 - Stroke Improvement
Participants, ages 5 and up, improve swimming skills, increase endurance and learn back crawl, breaststroke, butterfly and sidestroke.

Skills include:

• Standing dive
• Feet-first surface dive and swim underwater
• Survival swim, 1 min.
• Tread water, 2 min.
• Front crawl and elementary backstroke, 25 yd. each
• Back crawl, breaststroke, butterfly and sidestroke, 15 yd. each

Exit Skills:

• Jump into deep water, swim front crawl 25 yd. and elementary backstroke 25 yd.
• Swim breaststroke 15 yd. and back crawl 15 yd.
• Swim underwater 5 yd.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed Level 3 or have equivalent skills.

Registration tip: Upon completion of required skills register for Level 5

If you completed Swim America Level 6 and are at least 5 years old, children should register for Learn to Swim Level 4.

Level 5 - Stroke Refinement
Participants, ages 5 and up, learn to swim with refined strokes and increased endurance.

Skills include:

• Shallow dive
• Head-first surface dive
• Tread water, 5 min. and using legs only, 2 min.
• Front crawl and elementary backstroke, 50 yd. each
• Back crawl, breaststroke, butterfly and sidestroke, 25 yd. each

Exit Skills:

• Perform a shallow dive, swim front crawl 50 yd. and elementary backstroke 50 yd.
• Swim breaststroke 25 yd. and back crawl 25 yd.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed Level 4 or have equivalent skills.

Registration tip: Those wishing to complete Level 6 of Red Cross swim lessons may do so as part of our REVolution Swimming program.

If you completed Swim America Level 7 or 8 and are at least 5 years old, children should register for Learn to Swim Level 5.

Level 6 - Swimming & Skill Proficiency
Participants refine their strokes to swim with greater efficiency, power and endurance over longer distances. Level 6 offers three focus areas: Personal Water Safety, Fundamentals of Diving, or Fitness Swimmer.

Personal Water Safety

• Stroke refinement for efficiency and distance
• Prevention of aquatic emergencies in various environments
• Self-rescue skills and survival techniques

Fundamentals of Diving

• Stroke refinement for efficiency and distance
• Introduction to fundamental springboard diving skills

Fitness Swimmer

• Stroke refinement for efficiency and endurance
• Development of fitness swimming routines and lap swimming skills

Exit Skills:

• Demonstrate all Level 5 exit skills with improved proficiency and endurance
• Swim strokes with increased efficiency over longer distances

Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed Level 5 or demonstrate equivalent skills.

Registration tip: Level 6 participants may continue advancing their skills through our swimming program for extended training for competitive development or as a lifeguard and water safety instructor.

If you completed Swim America Level 9 or 10 and are at least 5 years old, children should register for Learn to Swim Level 6.