Learn-to-swim program in a school context for a twelve-week period enhance aquatic skills and motor coordination in Brazilian children (Las clases de natación en el contexto escolar durante un período de doce semanas mejoran las habilidades acuáticas y l
This study aimed to verify the effects of 12 weeks of swimming lessons implemented in age school Brazilian children’s aquatic
skills and motor coordination. Fifty children aged 6 to 10 years old (mean ± SD: 8.34 ± 1.10 years), participated in one swimming
lesson per week provided by the school curriculum. Each child was evaluated for their aquatic skills (17 skills checklist) and motor
coordination (Körperkoordinationstest Für Kinder test–KTK) before and after the swimming program. This study showed significant
improvements in the sum of scores obtained in swimming skills evaluation (31.40 ± 12.89 vs. 46.90 ± 10.73 points, p < .01, d = 3.38).
Large effects were found in water orientation and adjustment at the vertical position, breath control, horizontal buoyancy, body position
at ventral, dorsal gliding and at longitudinal rotation, front and back somersaults, leg kicking with breath control, feet-first/head-first
entries, autonomy in a deep pool and vertical buoyancy and immersion at deep water. The sum of scores in motor coordination
assessment increased from 140.64 ± 41.94 to 175.20 ± 41.39 points (p < .01, d = 1.56). These results showed that 12 weeks of
swimming practices, even conditioned by state school context (i.e., once a week), allowed Brazilian children aged 6-10 years old to
increase aquatic skills and motor coordination.
