Scurati, R., Michielon, G., longo, S., Invernizzi, P.I.

Università degli Studi di Milano, Facoltà di Scienze Motorie, Milan, Italy

In a learn-to-swim programme, the question of what is the best envi-ronmental condition for aquatic adjustment. The choice could depend on the depth of the swimming facilities or on the swimming teaching methodology. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of water ad-justment carried out in deep or shallow water in 3 to 6 year old children. Children practicing the learning programme in deep water obtained a higher mean score, but not significantly different than the children hav-ing a shallow water adjustment programme. The depth of the swimming pool seems to not significantly affect the results. Children can approach guided experiences equally either in shallow or deep water to learn the swimming basic skills and independence in the water, with no differ-ences in the rate of acquisition or in the quality of the skills.

Introduction

Among more frequent questions swimming teachers have to answer when planning learn-to-swim programme is, “what is the best environ-mental condition for teaching beginners? Frequently, teachers have no alternative and have to adapt to the swimming facilities they are working in, but if the environmental conditions allow it, which choice between starting a swimming experience in deep or shallow water is the best one?

In the literature there are several studies and theories about swim-ming teaching methods. Referring to the best age for starting swimming learning, the age of five to six years seems to be suitable for teachingswimming front crawl stroke (Blanksby et al., 1995). At 4 years of agechildren show adequate abilities to acquire good levels of water confidence or basic aquatic locomotion skills, whereas earlier water experience does not necessarily lead to a faster gain of specific basic skill(Parker et al., 1997). The influence of aids on water first experiences has also been studiedNo differences were found in learning and improving the front crawkicking either using just a kickboard or employing multiple various aid (Blanksby et al., 1999). Moreover, in advanced beginners flotation suitdo not show evidence of influence on floating or on gliding abilitie (Kjendlie, 2009a) as well as on the enhancement of the swimming abilities (Kjendlie, 2009b).Authors considered at first the depth of the water and advancedlearn-to-swim programmes based on activities in shallow water (Lan-gendorfer & Bruya, 1995; Bucher, 1995) or in deep water (Schmitt, 1992; Cesary et al., 1998).The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes in 3 to 6 year old children of water adjustment carried out in deep or shallow water.

Methods

Twenty-two children were selected among the participants of the learn-to-swim programmes in a swimming pool of a village near Milan. Cri-teria for selection were: i. real age; ii. anthropometric characteristics; iii. swimming skills.

The participants were divided into two groups: group A (mean ± SD, age 4.8 ± 0.7 years, weight 16.76 ± 1.63 kg, height 108 ± 7 cm, BMI 14.23 ± 1.42 kg·m-2), group B (mean ± SD, age 5.3 ± 1.4 years, weight 17.23 ± 3.38 kg, height 110 ± 11 cm, BMI 14.07 ± 1.22 kg·m-2).

Swimming skills were the same for all subjects: no previous experience in learn-to-swim programmes, no specific swimming abilities, no evi-dence of preexisting conditions causing problems during water activities.

Each group was assigned to a learn-to-swim programme aimed at a first experience and adjustment to water activities corresponding to the first level of a learn to swim programme (Table 1), according to the progression showed in the Table 2, practiced in the shallow or deep water condition: group A in shallow water (SW), group B in deep water (DW).

Sixteen classes 60-minutes long were attended by the children. Each class was structured as follows: 5 to 10 minutes of warm-up in a gym using simple games or exercises; 40 to 45 minutes of various targeted games and practices with an open multi-lateral approach in order to maintain high attention and motivation and to achieve the maximum educational effect (sometimes more than one step at a time, see Table 2 ); 5 to 10 minutes of free games, jumps and dives. Flotation supports were employed when necessary.

The SW group transferred into the deep water during the two last classes for a short period of adaptation to the new environment because the final evaluation had to be executed in the deep water. Scores were assigned according to the presence of level 1 indicators in Table 3.

Table 1 Complete learn to swim program

Table 2. Targets of the 1* level of the swimming program

Table 3. Table of evaluation of the complete swimming learning program

Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS 13.0® software. Mann-Whitney non-parametric statistics was applied in order to compare the results between SW and DW.

Results

The results of the evaluation of the abilities children acquired in SW or DW learn-to-swim activities are reported in the Figure 1. No significant differences were found (p=0.20).

Figure 1. Comparison between water adjustment carried out through SW or DW aquatic activities. No significant differences were found (p=0.20).

Discussion

Children practicing the learning program in the deep water obtained a higher mean score, but not significantly different than the children having a shallow water adjustment program. Probably this little differ-ence could be due to the fact that SW children have to get acquainted to the new environment (they moved into the deep swimming pool only two classes before the final evaluation was carried out in deep water), whereas DW children performed the test in the same situation they managed since the first class. Authors claiming the suitability of the deep water adjustment (Schmitt, 1992; Cesary et al., 1998) point out that children do not have to switch from a simple situation (shallow water) to a more difficult one, starting the adjustment process again.

Children experienced in the shallow water could need a readjustment adaptation of their aquatic motor skills when transferred to deep water, and occasionally even suffer a regression.

Shallow water activities led to similar results as deep water adjust-ment, supporting authors asserting that this experience occurs in a sim-ple condition with more stable supports and with the possibility to do more dynamic exercises (Langendorfer & Bruya, 1995; Bucher, 1995). Thus, deep water would be an unfriendly environment, where instability of support, and a more adverse psychological situation could represent different issues.

All authors agree with similar progressions of the complete swim-ming evolution as reported in Table 1. In particular, they largely agree with the sequence in Table 2 referring to the first level of aquatic skills acquisition, whatever the preferred environment for starting the water activities is.

As pointed out by Magill (1988), the maturation level of children and the motivation are very important elements in learning the motor skills, which may apply to the current situation.

Conclusion

In children 3 to 6 years old, the depth of the swimming pool does not affect the learning of the first level of aquatic skills (adjustment and independence in the water). Guided experiences both in shallow and deep water can lead to basic swimming skills with no differences in the rate of learning and improv-ing skills or in the quality of the skills.

References

Blanksby B.A., Parker H.E., Bradley S., Ong V. (1995). Children’s readi-ness for learning front crawl swimming. Aust J Sci Med Sport, 27(2), 34-7.

Kjendlie P.L. (2009a). No effect of using flotation suits in gliding and float-ing abilities of advanced beginners in swimming teaching. 14th annual ECSS Congress Oslo/Norway, June 24-27.

Kjendlie P.L. (2009b). Swimming abilities are not enhanced by using a flotation suit for advanced beginners in deep water swimming teaching. 14th annual ECSS Congress Oslo/Norway, June 24-27.

Langendorfer S.J., Bruya L.D. (1995). Aquatic readiness. Developing wa-ter competence in young children. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Magill R.A. (1988). Critical Periods of Optimal Readiness Learn-ing Sports Skill. In: Magill R.A., Ash M.J. (ed.). Children in sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Parker, H.E & Blanksby, B.A. (1997). Starting age and aquatic skill learning in young children: mastery of prerequisite water confidence and basic aquatic locomotion skills. Aust J Sci Med Sport, 29(3),83-7.

Schmitt P. (1992). Nager de la Découverte à la Performance. Paris: Vigot.