Frequently Asked questions

Lessons are currently offered at a private residence in an outdoor heated pool, located on Bartonsville Road in East Frederick, Maryland. 

ISR families are encouraged to bring a travel training potty for the car and wets bags, as there is no facility available at this time for changing or using the rest room. 

Lessons are a maximum of 10 minutes a day, held 5 consecutive days a week for approximately 3-6 weeks depending on the skills being acquired and the individual. The consistency of daily lessons is critical for learning efficiency. These are NOT traditional swim lessons! We are teaching highly specialized skills and it is very important to attend class every day.

If you are planning a trip or know that you have something scheduled during a session it is advised that you select a different session or chose to attend lessons when your schedule will allow. 

Parents are not required to get in the water. Your instructor may suggest a time when it may make sense for you to join a lesson or two with your child, towards the end of the session, to learn how to play with them in the water while honoring their hard earned skills! 

Great question! ISR has been researched and developed for nearly 50 years. It’s nationally recognized as the safest swim program for infants and children. Your children will learn lifesaving skills that traditional lessons do not provide. If you are looking for a swim class that focuses on socialization and play rather than safety and survival, you might consider traditional swim lessons.
 

ISR teaches your children to SWIM. There are no other programs in this area that will teach your child to swim with his face in the water or offer any sort of guarantee about what he will learn. Many parents come to me after spending hundreds of dollars on traditional “swim” programs frustrated because their child doesn’t have any discernible skills after weeks, months, or even years of lessons.  

Some children cry the first few lessons. He is in a new environment, being handed into the water to a stranger - it's normal for him to be wary of the situation! It's important to teach your child to trust his/her instructor and trust his/her abilities. We can do hard things! Many kids can't wait to come to lessons by the end of the first week!

Remember, fear is a learned behavior. We didn't come into this world afraid of spiders or water or large dogs. When someone has a negative experience that involves the fearful object or experience, fear is developed. Your child will only truly be fearful of the water if he or she has witnessed or experienced a traumatic aquatic event.

Once your child completes the session, he/she is fully skilled to survive an aquatic emergency and in most cases has a successful rollback-to-float or swim-float-swim sequence. Despite being skilled, there is no substitute for adult supervision and parents should still employ layers of protection- pool fences, pool alarms, door alarms, etc.

Refresher Lessons are highly recommended every 6-8 months to adjust your child's skills to their growing body. You can come back & see us for refreshers when you are ready/prior to the next swim season. Maintenance lessons are also available (one time, pay-as-you-go) for whenever we can figure out a mutually agreeable time! Maintenance lessons are a great way for your child to continue practicing and polishing those hard earned skills. 

Once your child is around age 4 we can help make a recommendation for a swim instructor who can take their skills further....learning stroke, swim mechanics etc. should we determine they are ready and their self-rescue skills are not at risk of being lost by doing so!

At this time, ISR Frederick Instructors do not travel to other pools. 

The non-refundable, non-transferable deposit must be paid via Venmo within 24 hours of selecting your date and time for lessons. Venmo is a free, easy to use app that takes minutes to download. 

The remaining tuition due may be paid using a credit card by requesting an invoice. Please note that for this option a 3% service fee will be added to your total balance due. As always, all deposits, fees, and tuition payments are non-refundable. 

Working out a payment plan is a great option for families who may be a bit overwhelmed at the cost, particularly with siblings enrolled. Please inquire with your instructor about options to spread payments out a bit before and during a session. 

The ISR lesson structure does not require any previous water experience, likewise, if your child has had some traditional instruction that is ok as well. 

If you are playing in the water with your child before swimming with us, it is highly recommended that you do not use floatation devices. Devices like puddle jumpers are very confusing for children and often lead to water emergencies.