Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/174

 differ very much as to the best depth in which to teach. Most teachers prefer it reaching to the arm pits; some go even beyond that and say it is best to take a pupil out of her depth at once. I do not agree with either of these theories, and though, perhaps, singular in my opinion, I think I am justified in holding it, having been a most successful teacher of girls, in turning out 101 expert swimmers out of 110 pupils. Water should be just deep enough for the pupil to float in and where she cannot possibly fear drowning. With young children it is best to let them get quite familiar with the water and accustomed to the depth. I cannot speak too strongly against the practice of dipping children against their will, frightening them in fact. There is no necessity for the head to be submerged at all, so long as the top is wetted a little that is all that is needed for health's sake. It is best for all purposes that the head should be wetted but the system of forcibly dipping a child under when it least expects it is unwise and cruel, and it makes it very much harder to teach that child to swim, for her confidence is destroyed and instead of attending to the instructions she is expecting and dreading another ducking. I may say I have been most successful with young children, and I have found it the best, or only way, to play with them at first, and until they gain confidence in me. Another thing I have noticed that if a pupil gets a fright in the beginning, or just as she is commencing to swim, it invariably puts her back, perhaps prevents her trying again for weeks, and here it is that my belt and pole have been so useful, as with them the most nervous must feel safe. In teaching children, and, indeed, many of an older growth, it is advisable instead of at once insisting upon their getting into the correct frog kick, to allow them to kick both feet together and splash, that is to raise both feet making the action more from the knees than the hips. My reason for adopting this mode was because I found it came more naturally at first, and also I noticed that directly they could swim they instinctively dropped the feet and took the proper frog kick. Invariably has this been the case, directly a girl can swim well she ceases to splash and adopts the natural motion of the frog. Grown up people have sometimes learnt it at once, but in most cases I have found it best to teach them to splash first.

—When the pupil strikes out she should hold her fingers close together as if pushing her way through the water, and when she draws up her legs for the next kick she should straighten out the feet so that no resistance is offered to the water by the instep and in kicking out strike the soles of her feet, as it were against the water as if she was pushing herself up. The legs should be spread somewhat apart as she kicks, and when extended instead of drawing them up for a fresh kick she should draw them