Not One More Child Drowns
ISR believes pool fences, supervision, and pool alarms are important parts of a necessary multi-layered approach to drowning prevention. However, traditional lines of defense break down, and the over 4,000 drowning deaths per year bear a grim testament to the fact that traditional approaches are missing a key component: the child. ISR’s core conviction is that the child is the most important part of a drowning prevention strategy and our over 300,000 ISR graduates and 800 documented survival stories are proof that children can save themselves. Children are curious, capable, and have an uncanny ability to overcome obstacles like pool fences; at ISR we take that ability and teach them skills to potentially save themselves if they find themselves in the water alone.
What will my child learn?
Children 6-12 Months Old: Generally speaking, children ages 6 months to 1 year learn the ISR Self-Rescue® skill of rolling onto their backs to float, rest and breathe. They learn to maintain this position until help arrives.
Children 1-6 Years Old: Older, more mobile children will learn the full ISR Self-Rescue® sequence of swimming until they need air, rotating onto the back to float, then rolling back over to continue swimming. ISR students are taught to repeat this sequence until they reach the safety of the steps, side of the pool, or the shoreline.
How much are lessons?
It is $105 to enroll a student in ISR. I require a one week non-refundable hold fee to reserve a time slot for lessons. Lesson cost varies based on location. This can be paid all at once, or weekly. Please email me for the cost of lessons closest to your location.
Will you come to my home to teach my child?
In an effort to reach as many children as possible I do not travel to each individual family’s home to do lessons for only their child.
What is involved to be a “Host Family” for ISR Lessons?
Host families open their pools to the instructor for ISR lessons to be conducted there a few hours a day.
No clients access the home, they only have direct access to the back yard for their specific lesson time.
The instructor carries liability insurance and will add the homeowner and the home to their policy for the duration of the lessons.
Why is there a registration fee?
Each application is sent through our registration team who is comprised of Registered Nurses who are also ISR instructors. The registration team is in place to keep each child safe during lessons. They will review a child’s medical history and provide feedback to the instructor if needed on specific protocols to follow for each students individual needs.
What locations do you offer?
I offer numerous locations in the Jacksonville area. Message me for specific location details.
How long are lessons?
Lessons are Monday-Friday, 10 mins per day per child. The average completion time for a new student is 6 weeks. Please keep in mind this is the average and NOT a set number of weeks. We finish when each child is fully skilled.
How young do you start children in lessons?
We start at 6 months of age. Our goal is to reach each child before they reach the water alone.
How old is too old for lessons?
Our suggested age range is 6 months to 6 years as we work to target the age group with the highest risk of drowning statistics. However, we can enroll children over the age of 6 years.
Will my child need to take refresher lessons?
Children grow at a rapid rate, therefore, we suggest children take a refresher course yearly after their initial set of lessons to help adapt their skills to their growing bodies. The time length of refreshers are dependent upon each child’s needs. Avoiding interference such as, the use of flotation devices and shallow water play will help keep all skills in tact. The parent handbook provides a complete list of interference items to avoid.
Will my child remember what they have learned?
We teach via muscle memory so our retention rate is 97% up to one year. Avoiding interference such as, the use of flotation devices and shallow water play will help keep all skills in tact. The parent handbook provides a complete list of interference items to avoid.
Do you offer private lessons?
All lessons are one on one with instructor and child in the water. There are no group classes.
Do parents get in the water during lessons?
Parents do not typically get in the water during lessons. We do offer one day at the end of the session for parents to get in to learn how to interact with their child in the water to keep their skills in tact.
Will lessons make my child fear the water?
No! As you child learns each skill confidence replaces fear. Children always leave their ISR class more comfortable in the water than when they came.
Do you take children with special needs?
Yes! Our registration team reviews every application and provides protocols for each child to their instructor to follow. If you child can safely be submerged in water they can safely complete lessons!
How do I enroll:
Enrollment is a 2 step process. First you select your location, start date and lesson time here.
Once you have chosen your start date, you will enroll will ISR.
Will my child learn to actually swim?
Yes. At ISR, we believe that part of survival for a child who can walk is swimming. Children learn the swim-float-swim sequence so that they could get themselves to safety. The difference in our program is that they will learn swimming AND survival skills and how to be an aquatic problem solver.
Are there scholarships available?
You can apply for a scholarship at http://www.livelikejake.com
Are swimming lessons for infants and young children safe?
YES! ISR’s Self-RescueTM program is dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child’s health and well-being are our highest priority and are closely monitored on a daily basis. In addition, your child’s medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential. All ISR instructors undergo an intensive and 8- week in-water and academic training that far exceeds any other training program of this kind. Each ISR instructor is also required to attend a yearly re-certification that includes quality control as well as continuing education. Your education in the area of aquatic safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child’s lessons. You will receive access to the “Parent Resource Guide,” written by Dr. Harvey Barnett and JoAnn Barnett, which will inform you of every aspect of swimming for infants and children. With research, you will find that ISR is the safest survival swimming program but also the most effective for teaching infants and young children.
About The Instructor- Heather Spurlock
My name is Heather Spurlock and I live in Jacksonville, Florida with my husband and two children. Our first child drowned May 21, 2013 and passed away on May 24, 2013. We had him in floatation devices every time we had him in the water. I had no ideas about the dangers and false sense of security these devices cause. We knew nothing about ISR until someone posted on one of the news articles about him drowning that we should have done ISR. I attended mommy & me lessons at a very popular swim school locally and thought that was what I was supposed to do. After losing Steven, I avoided all bodies of water. I figured, If we don’t go near them, my children will be safe. It was after I received a message asking for prayer that it occurred to me, I can’t avoid water or sleeping. A mother and toddler took a nap and the toddler woke up before the mom. The child drowned in the bath tub. I immediately reached out to an Instructor in Jacksonville and signed my two children up for lessons. It was laid on my heart that becoming an Instructor was my purpose in life and our area was under served. I am honored to be able to help prevent other families from going through the tragedy that we went through. I can’t see myself doing anything else.
About The Instructor- Heather Spurlock
My name is Heather Spurlock and I live in Jacksonville, Florida with my husband and two children. Our first child drowned May 21, 2013 and passed away on May 24, 2013. We had him in floatation devices every time we had him in the water. I had no ideas about the dangers and false sense of security these devices cause. We knew nothing about ISR until someone posted on one of the news articles about him drowning that we should have done ISR. I attended mommy & me lessons at a very popular swim school locally and thought that was what I was supposed to do. After losing Steven, I avoided all bodies of water. I figured, If we don’t go near them, my children will be safe. It was after I received a message asking for prayer that it occurred to me, I can’t avoid water or sleeping. A mother and toddler took a nap and the toddler woke up before the mom. The child drowned in the bath tub. I immediately reached out to an Instructor in Jacksonville and signed my two children up for lessons. It was laid on my heart that becoming an Instructor was my purpose in life and our area was under served. I am honored to be able to help prevent other families from going through the tragedy that we went through. I can’t see myself doing anything else.