Swimming Instructions: Be Careful What You Say To Kids

Just under the heading of how you should speak to kids. I thought that I would mention a comical little incident that I had today in my swimming class that related to swimming instructions.

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

Swimming Instructions To Avoid Confusion

The children were swimming with the floaties on and I needed one of them to use their legs more. So I said, "Kick your Legs behind you". An instruction that works with most children.

Care With Instructions To Kids 

In this case, you would be pleased to know that the child was most obedient and promptly laid over on her back and kicked her legs. From her perspective, since she was still heading towards me she was kicking her legs behind her.

I had to smile. How can I be annoyed with any child just because I am silly enough to think that the same swimming instructions will be understood in the same way by all children.

It's the nature of all teaching that we understand that everybody but particularly children have different filters that will cause them to understand things differently.

If you truly want to teach children well you have to go to be prepared to keep changing your terminology until you get the response you need from the person, big or small, that you are trying to teach.

Enjoy
   Richard