My kids have taken a variety of swim classes at all different places since they have been babies and the classes they have taken at the YMCA and at Galter Life Center have been the best. Both can be hard to get into and expensive if you are not members but both have really quality instructors who want to be there and will get your child swimming the correct way.
YMCA
Our kids have taken swim classes at both the Lakeview (3333 N. Marshfield) and Irving Park (4251 W. Irving Park) YMCA from baby classes up through the more advanced classes. Both facilities are decent but they are Y's not country clubs so that is definitely what you should expect. The baby classes are great to take once or twice to get your baby used to the water but are basically the same each quarter. Your baby doesn't progress because they believe you can't really teach a kid to swim until they are three years old. There is an entry level class your child starts in at age three or older and then at the end of the quarter they are evaluated by the instructor to determine whether they are ready to pass into the next level. My older daughter took three quarters to pass the first level and then proceeded to pass the next levels each time she took the class. For her it was just a matter of getting past her first insecurities and then she really took off. As she got older, we were fortunate enough to take classes weekday mornings. There were usually not a lot of other kids in her class and it was almost like having a private lesson. She would swim up and down the full length of the pool and get to jump off the diving board without having to worry about running into any other swimmers. The instructors were all very friendly but firm in there teaching, meaning that they did push the kids to succeed. The instructors always knew my daughter's name, even when we saw them outside of the pool or months after her class had ended, and what she was capable of doing in the pool.
Galter Life Center
Galter Life Center (5157 N. Francisco) is a fitness center that is partnered with Swedish Covenant Hospital so in addition to having everything you would find at a regular gym they also have a focus on wellness and rehabilitation in addition to providing classes on nutrition and other health issues from doctors at the hospital. Galter offers aquababies classes for babies with parents in the pool and then classes for older kids as well. We have not taken any of the aquababies classes but from what I have heard they are a bit more instructive than at the Y where you mostly just play games with your baby in the water. The older kids classes are generally held in the evening, 4:00 or later even on weekends, which is one of the downsides. As with classes at the Y, there is generally 3 or 4 students per instructor and then multiple classes going on in the pool. The instructors are great. They are very knowledgeable and really good with kids. There are multiple levels that the kids progress through with an evaluation done at the end of each session letting you know what class to sign up for next. Locker rooms are definitely nicer at Galter since it is a regular fitness center, however they can be quite busy with regular gym members.
One of the common themes between these two places is that the progression through the levels has been carefully thought out and is standard. There is a big focus on technique and learning to do things the right way. In addition, both facilities always have at least one dedicated life guard on duty during the classes. Online or in person registration is available for both and Galter also permits registration over the phone. Our daughters have really become great swimmers who love being in the water thanks to both of these programs.
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