Teaching Swimming Lessons to Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide

By Mark Young

Teaching swimming lessons to beginners works best in six stages: getting used to the water, breath control, floating and standing up, push and glide, kicking and moving, then a first stroke. Move on only when a swimmer is relaxed at the stage they're on, and keep every lesson to the same simple shape.

I've taught thousands of beginners, from toddlers clinging to their mum to adults who hadn't been near a pool in forty years. The ones who learn fastest aren't the bravest. They're the ones whose teacher went slowly enough for them to trust the water. This guide is how I do it.

What a beginner is really thinking

Before you plan a single activity, put yourself in their shoes. Most beginners are worried about three things:

• Sinking. They don't yet believe the water will hold them up.
• Water on the face. A splash in the eyes or up the nose feels like choking.
• Losing control. Feet off the floor means they can't get back up.

Every stage below is built to take one of those worries away. Your job is to stay calm, stay close and make a fuss of every small win.

The six stages of teaching a beginner to swim

Here's the path I take every beginner along. Each stage has a goal, the activities I use, the words I say on poolside, and how to tell they're ready to move on.

Stage 1: Getting in and getting used to the water

Goal: get in safely and move around the shallow end happily.

• Sit on the poolside with legs in the water and move the feet slowly.
• Enter with a swivel entry, or using the steps for anyone who can't yet.
• Walk forwards, then backwards, through shallow water. Collect a toy and bring it back.
• Hold the side and bounce up and down. Splash the water with your hands.

What I say: "Hands to one side and slide in on your tummy." "Small steps." "Slowly at first."

Ready to move on when they get in without help and walk across the shallow end smiling.

Stage 2: Breath control and putting the face in

Goal: happy with water on the face, and able to breathe out into the water.

• Blow bubbles at the surface, then blow a floating toy across the water.
• Cup water in the hands and wash the face. Sprinkle water over the head.
• Take a deep breath, hold it and put the mouth and nose under. Then the whole face.
• Submerge to collect a sinker.

What I say: "Let the bubbles tickle your nose" "Deep breath and hold it all in." "Eyes open."

Ready to move on when they put their face in and blow bubbles without rushing to wipe their eyes.

Stage 3: Floating, and standing up again

Goal: float on the front and back, and stand up from both on their own.
Teach standing up before you teach floating. A beginner who knows they can get back on their feet relaxes, and a relaxed body floats.

• Standing up from the front: pull the knees to the chest, press both arms down, lift the head, put the feet down.
• Standing up from the back: chin to the chest, sit as if in a chair, sweep the arms forward, put the feet down.
• Star floats on the front and back, with buoyancy aids at first.
• Mushroom float: knees hugged to the chest, face in.

What I say: "Tummy up." "Relax and stretch out." "Chin on chest."

Ready to move on when they float for a few seconds and stand up from the front and back without grabbing you.

If your swim school groups beginners into stages or levels, these first three steps make up a typical first level, and I've set out a full Stage 1 lesson sequence here.

Stage 4: Push and glide

Goal: a long, streamlined glide on the front with the face in.

• Push and glide towards the side, then away from the side, regaining standing each time.
• Use a woggle or float at first if needed.
• Push and glide on the back, away from the side.

What I say: "Push off like a rocket." "Legs together." "Stretch your arms in front."

Ready to move on when they glide about a body length with the face in and stand up unaided.

Stage 5: Kicking and moving

Goal: move through the water using the legs, then the arms.

• Sit on the poolside edge and kick.
• Kick with a float under each arm, then holding one float out in front.
• Practise the arms standing on the poolside, then walking through the water.
• Put it together as a front paddle, with buoyancy aids if needed.

What I say: "Pointed toes." "Floppy feet." "Reach and pull."

Ready to move on when they travel a width with a front paddle or a kick on a float.

If your swim school uses stages, this is where swimmers move into Stage 2, and I’ve set out a full lesson sequence for it.

Stage 6: The first stroke

Goal: a first go at a full stroke.

Whichever you choose, teach it one part at a time, starting with the part that's holding the swimmer back most. Watch the whole stroke first, pick the biggest problem, and give it its own exercise before putting the stroke back together.

Practise each part with its own exercises, then put the stroke together slowly, with a woggle under the arms if it helps.

Want every beginner lesson planned for you?

My Beginner Lesson Plans pack takes swimmers from the first time in the water to front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke in 15 ready-made lessons, each with its own assessment sheet.

A 30-minute beginner lesson you can copy

Every one of my lessons follows the same shape. Beginners like knowing what comes next, and you never stand on poolside wondering what to do. Here is a floating and gliding lesson from Stages 3 and 4.

Part	Activity	What I say	Organisation	Time
Entry	Swivel entry or the steps	Take your time	All together	1 min
Warm up	2 widths with buoyancy aids	Splash your feet	All together	2 mins
Main theme	Push and glide towards the side, then stand	Legs together	One by one	3 mins
Main theme	Push and glide away from the side, then stand	Stretch your arms in front	One by one	3 mins
Main theme	Star float on the back	Tummy up	In waves	3 mins
Main theme	Star float on the front	Face in the water	In waves	4 mins
Main theme	Push and glide on the back	Look up at the sky	In waves	3 mins
Main theme	Mushroom float, then stand	Chin on chest	In waves	3 mins
Contrasting activity	Pencil jump, with aids if needed	Arms by your sides	In waves	3 mins
Contrasting activity	Collect a sinker	Deep breath and stretch down	One by one	3 mins
Exit	The steps	Take your time	One by one	1 min

"In waves" means small groups taking turns, so you can watch each swimmer properly. For more on how each part works, see my 30 minute swim lesson plan.

Children and adults need different lessons

	Children	Adults
What worries them	Splashes, the unknown, being away from a parent	Sinking, looking silly, a bad experience years ago
How long they focus	Short bursts. Change activity every few minutes	Longer, if they understand why
What works	Games, toys, songs, praise	Clear explanations, small goals, privacy
Your language	Pictures: "push off like a rocket"	Plain technique: "keep your chin on your chest"
Parents on poolside	Can help the youngest, can distract older ones	Not usually an issue

With adults, ask about their past before they get in. Many have one frightening memory, and knowing it changes how you teach them. My guide to an adult beginner who can't let go of the float goes into this in more detail.

When a beginner gets stuck

Every beginner hits a wall somewhere. These are the four I see most, and what I do.

They won't put their face in. Don't force it. Go back to washing the face and blowing a toy along the surface. Then try just the chin, then the mouth, then the nose. Goggles help a lot here.

They won't let go of the wall or the float. They don't trust that they can stand up again. Go back to Stage 3 and practise standing up from the front and back until it is automatic.

Their legs sink when they float. Usually the head is up. Ask them to look straight up at the ceiling on their back, or at the pool floor on their front, and push their tummy up.

They panic when water splashes their face. Splash gently and on purpose in a game, so it becomes something they expect and laugh at, not something that ambushes them.

If your usual words don't work, try different ones. A cue that clicks for one swimmer means nothing to the next.

Keeping beginners safe

• Stay within arm's reach of anyone who can't yet stand up on their own.
• Teach standing up from the front and back early. It is their first safety skill.
• Teach pool rules from the first lesson: walk on poolside, enter feet first, never push anyone in.
• Follow your pool's rules on teacher-to-pupil numbers, lifeguard cover and first aid.

Frequently asked questions

What should the first swimming lesson for a beginner be?
Getting in safely and moving around the shallow end: sitting on the side, a swivel entry or the steps, walking, bouncing, splashing and blowing bubbles. The aim is that they leave wanting to come back.

How do I teach a beginner who is scared of the water?
Go slower than you think you need to. Teach standing up before floating, stay within reach and let them set the pace. Praise every small step, even just putting the chin in.

Should beginners learn front crawl or breaststroke first?
Children usually move from front paddle to front crawl. Many adults find breaststroke easier first because the head can stay out of the water.

How long does it take a beginner to learn to swim?
It varies a lot. Confidence matters more than age. A relaxed beginner with weekly lessons often swims a short distance within a few months; a frightened one may need longer at the early stages, and that's fine.

What equipment do I need for beginner swimming lessons?
Floats, woggles (noodles), buoyancy aids, sinkers and a few floating toys. Goggles help anyone nervous about water in the eyes.

What is BLABT?
An acronym for remembering the five stroke parts - body position, legs, arms, breathing, timing. The parts can be taught in any order, depending on your pupil. 

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