The first time I signed my own child up for swim lessons, he refused to get in the pool. He didn’t know those kids, he didn’t know the instructor, and he wanted no part of it. So I spent entire classes leaning over the side, BEGGING him to come closer so that I could try and coax him into the pool. “Why did I pay for this?” I asked myself, thinking “I already know how to swim, and i’m the only one in the water!”
Out of pure frustration, we put swim lessons on hold for a while. Once I became a swim instructor myself, that same kid learned to swim in a single summer. What I am telling you, in a fairly roundabout and long winded way, is that the only short answer to this question is “it depends!”
As far as a general rule of thumb, the younger the child, the longer it will take. As we get older and gain more experience being taught things formally, rather than learning them through play and experimentation, we get better and better at it.
Another factor is interest. This is why I try hard to make all the activities fun! A kid who is excited to come to their lesson is always going to learn more than one who wants to stay home.
Some kids also have a strong motivation- either they want to be allowed to swim in the deep end and try the diving board, with the big kids (you have to swim all the way across the pool with no help!) or they want to join swim team (you need to be able to swim on your front and back!) or they just think flip turns look fun.
Another factor is neurotype! Kids who are neuroatypical may not thrive with a typical swim class progression. They may need to be taught in a different order, or with different goals in mind. (Private lessons are perfect for kids who are neurodivergent! We do not have to try and keep their skills consistent with the other kids in class, and are free to teach them based on their own strengths.)
Last, but not least, is how often your kid gets to go swimming outside of swim class! The more times per week a kid is in the water, the faster they will develop the coordination and skill needed to meet their swim goals.
If you have specific questions about what a reasonable timeline is for your child, please reach out! I’d be happy to discuss where they excel, and how to offer them more opportunities to practice where they need it.