My basic teaching progression – and I use this for all four strokes with a slight change for butterfly -- is like this:

Teach the correct Body Position.

Teach the correct Kick (while maintaining correct body position).

Teach the correct Arm Action.

Teach the correct Timing (coordinating the arms and the legs).

And, finally, teach correct Breathing (when to breathe and how to breathe without distorting the body).

For each step of a teaching progression I try to do the following:

**Demonstrate.**  I demonstrate, give a verbal explanation, and then repeat the demonstration.  

The swimmer may try the skill at this point.

If they need help, I go to step #2, which is to…
**Physically assist the swimmer through the correct movement.**

Step #3 is to **let the swimmer try the movement without my assistance.**  

Step #4 is **feedback and correction…** 

…or praise if they’ve done the movement correctly.

Step #5 is to **repeat the skill as needed until the swimmer can do it correctly on their own.**

Part of the art of teaching is to know when to move on to a new skill if a student is at a learning plateau.  

If you sense a loss of focus, or a regression in skill level, it’s usually best to switch gears.

Sometimes, by taking a break and moving to something new, the swimmer can come back to the original skill and do it correctly.  

An experienced teacher will also know when a step may be skipped or when a swimmer is able to grasp an additional fine point.   It’s usually best, though, to cover all the steps, and you should always keep them clear in your mind as you move through the lesson.  

You should always know where you’re headed, and know the path or progression that will get you there, which is the topic of our next section.


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What to Teach First... The Progressions