At Houston Swim Club, EVERY month is “swimming month”. The month of March is also National Reading Awareness Month and, believe it or not, we’re super excited about that, too!
You may be wondering why a swim school is excited about books and reading. Well…it’s because we have our very own book that we share with our new swimmers all year long!
Our Guppy book was written and published with our very own Guppies in mind. These are our beginner level students ages 2 ½ to 5. For many of them, the 2-week Guppy session is the very first time they are exposed to water and being in a pool without a parent by their side.
Many students (and parents) are nervous about the initial swim lessons. We know that being in a new environment with a new instructor can be intimidating, which is why our program is filled with fun and love. We are here to help our students every step of the way.
And, since we know that most children love a good book, we created this storybook as another tool to help our beginner level students through the process. As the story is read, students can easily identify with the characters.
Parents are able to learn more about the specific skills and activities their children are working on in class. We’ve even included ‘Parent Pointers’ throughout the book to give more explanation.
In reading this book, students and parents are able to see that learning to swim takes some work, but doing it at HSC is oh so fun!
For many of us parents, reading with our children is already a regular part of our routine. The Guppy book provides a way for both students and parents to better understand the details of our program, while also fostering a love for reading and providing an opportunity for some quality quiet time together.
There are multiple benefits of reading aloud to your child (source: All-4-Kids):
Our swim lessons provide the exact same benefits. The only difference is our swim lessons help cultivate a lifelong love of the WATER, which is an integral part of OUR mission as an organization! Check out our recent blog on how swim lessons can make your child smarter!
While water safety is the primary benefit of swim lessons, there are many others that follow. Having basic water safety and swim skills allow for fun family outings like days spent at the neighborhood pool, weekend trips to the beach, and pool parties with friends.
Swimming is also a skill that children can benefit greatly from as they grow into adulthood. It’s a wonderful form of exercise and can be done whether you’re 4 years old, 44 years old or 84 years old!
Our Guppy students are at the very beginning of this lifelong journey of learning to swim and developing a love of the water. Our hope is that our Guppy storybook will be a helpful resource that provides comfort, understanding and excitement during the beginner level 2-week session.
So, bring your children to learn to swim with us…and we’ll help develop their love for reading in the process!
For more details on our program and how to register for classes, head over to our enrollment page.
Written by Stephanie Burns, Site Director of Sharpstown, Houston Swim Club
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