Why Your Child Should Start with Private Swimming Lessons

It’s the first major decision every parent makes when they decide to enroll their child in swimming lessons: should we choose a private, one-on-one session or a group class?

On the surface, the logic seems simple. Parents often gravitate towards group lessons for two very understandable reasons: it's a chance for their child to have company, and the per-session cost is lower. But as a team of coaches who have spent decades on the pool deck, we believe it's our responsibility to share a different, experience-based perspective.

From a long-term effectiveness and overall value standpoint, we have a very strong and clear recommendation: for a beginner, starting with private, 1-to-1 swimming lessons is the single best investment you can make in your child's aquatic education. This guide will explain our reasoning.

1. Debunking the Myth: A Look at the True Cost of Learning

The most common reason for choosing a group class is to save on cost. While it's true that the fee for a single group lesson is lower than a private one, this is a misleading metric. The more important question is: what is the total cost to achieve real competence?

Based on our years of experience, a focused 5-year-old in a private, 1-to-1 lesson can typically learn the fundamentals of a stroke within 8 to 15 sessions.

In a group class, due to the divided attention of the coach, that same learning process can take double the time, or even longer. When you do the math, the total amount you spend to get your child to the same skill level often ends up being about the same, or in some cases, even less with private lessons.

2. The Hidden Danger: Preventing Ingrained Bad Habits

This is the most crucial, and often overlooked, factor. The single biggest challenge we face as coaches is not teaching a new skill; it's un-teaching a bad habit.

In a group setting, it is physically impossible for a coach to see and correct every single stroke of every child. Small technical flaws—an inefficient kick, a poor breathing pattern, an incorrect hand entry—can go unnoticed. Over weeks and months, these small flaws become deeply ingrained muscle memory.

In a private swimming lesson, the coach's attention is 100% on your child. Every movement is observed. Every mistake is gently corrected before it becomes a habit. Starting with 1-to-1 lessons is like a form of "technical insurance." It ensures your child builds a rock-solid, correct foundation, which saves immense time, money, and frustration down the road. Many of the students who come to us for stroke correction are fixing habits they learned in a group environment.

3. The Right Time for a Group: The "Verbal Instruction" Test

This isn't to say group classes are bad. They are a fantastic environment for social learning and motivation, but only when a child is ready. So, how do you know when they're ready to switch?

The Dreamer's Insight: A child is ready for a group setting when they can improve based on verbal instructions alone.

In a private lesson, a coach can use physical guidance to correct a movement. In a group class, with divided attention, the coach relies much more on giving verbal cues to multiple children at once. If your child is not yet at a stage where they can listen to a verbal instruction ("keep your elbow high!") and translate it into a physical correction on their own, they will struggle to progress in a group. A child who still requires constant physical correction needs the focus of a 1-to-1 lesson.

Our Professional Recommendation

Our advice is clear and consistent. We highly recommend all beginners start with private, 1-to-1 swimming lessons. This approach guarantees the safest environment, ensures the development of a strong technical foundation, and is often the most cost-effective path to real, lasting competence.

After this crucial foundation is built, we will have an honest conversation with you about transitioning your child to a small group setting, where they can then take their solid skills and enjoy the social, dynamic, and fun environment of learning with their friends.