School-based swimming lessons enhance specific skills and motor coordination in children: the comparison between two interventions

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the impact of two learn-to-swim programs, implemented for 12 weeks, in age school Brazilian children’s aquatic readiness and motor coordination. Thirty-one children aged 7-9 years old (mean ± SD 8.00 ± 0.86 years) were randomly divided into two different experimental groups. One was submitted to lessons mainly focused on basic skills development (BS), and the other was mainly focused on the formal skills of swimming techniques (FS). The aquatic readiness (17 skills) and the motor coordination (Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder test) were evaluated before and after the interventions. After 12 weeks, the total score of the swimming skills was different between groups (F= 24.19, p< 0.01, η_p²= 0.46), changing from 34.35 ± 9.22 to 50.18 ± 8.49 points (p< 0.01, d= 2.60) in the BS and from 36.00 ± 5.86 to 42.64 ± 7.46 points in the FS (p< 0.01, d= 1.88). Leg kicking with breath control at ventral and dorsal body position, feet-first entry and deep-water immersion were significantly higher after the training in the BS. The motor coordination scores increased in both the BS (135.57 ± 37.45 to 172.64 ± 33.17, p< 0.01, d= 2.11) and FS (130.18 ± 37.71 to 162.71 ± 40.40, p< 0.01, d= 1.41). These results showed that both swimming practices improved aquatic readiness and motor coordination, with higher aquatic competence after the lessons that mainly focused on basic skills development.

Keywords: motor development, aquatic skills, swimming, child