How long will it take my child to learn how to swim?

Many variables affect how rapidly a student will learn how to swim, such as age, comfort level in the water, whether they’re in a group or a private lesson, and whether they have been or will be exposed to a traumatic water event. It’s important to remember that every student is different and follows a different learning curve. Once a student starts the process of learning to swim, consistency is key. Swimming more than one day per week, especially in the early developmental stages, will result in faster progress and lead to a student learning how to swim sooner. The more practice a student has, the faster they’ll progress. We highly recommend regular weekly swimming schedules, especially during the fall and winter months, in order to help students retain developed skills and make swimming a fun, year-round activity.

Kaleb Wallen  //  Steve Wallen Swim School  //  1230 Glenhaven Court, Suite 100, El Dorado Hills  //  916-939-7075, www.wallenswim.com

What developmental differences does preschool have on an infant versus day care?

A child’s brain undergoes an amazing period of development from birth to age three—producing more than a million neural connections each second. The development of the brain is influenced by many factors, including a child’s relationships, experiences and environment. Although there are many loving and safe day care programs available for infants, many parents choose to optimize this developmental window by enrolling their child in a high-quality early childhood program. These programs have experienced teachers specifically trained in infant development, didactic materials to stimulate young minds, a low adult-child ratio and a calm, soothing and beautiful environment. 

 Dayna Brennan, Director   //  Bergamo Montessori at Serrano  //  4521 Serrano Parkway, El Dorado Hills  //  916-399-1900, www.bergamoschools.com