Connect the Dots Swim

KEVIN ROCKS!!! The Kids can swim so good now. They had so much fun and looked forward to class everyday!

Reviewed on Facebook

Kevin is such a great teacher! Our little girl (just under 3) immediately felt comfortable with him and loves her lessons. Day 7 and she's swimming! Our only regret is we didn't know about him for our 2 older daughters and spent months in traditional swim lessons. It's very obvious Kevin is a "natural" at teaching! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Did 4 rounds of traditional one on one lessons at a local place and didn't learn a thing. After 8 days at Connect the Dots Coach Kevin had my 4 year olds pool safe (which he guarantees). They are 8 now and still swim like fish. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

So impressed with Kevin and his 8 day program! Our 4 year old had no pool skills and in an instant trusted Kevin, learned simple and basic pool skills.
Highly recommend and we will be back for more! Swim team prep for our 6 year old is next! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Coach Kevin and Coach Katerina are truly gifted teachers. We weren’t certain if spending the money would be worth it for swimming lessons, but Coach Kat won my son over after the first lesson. He has always been very frightened in the water and was especially mortified to put his face in the water. She was consistent, calm, and extremely motivating for my son. I was amazed to see him listen and follow her instructions and in 8 lessons, my “water-terrified” child happily and willingly swam back and forth to me and the wall at the pool for two hours with his face in the water and eyes open the whole time! Words cannot express our gratitude for this program. We will be back next year! Thank you so much, Connect the Dots Swim! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

I grew up in a city in India and did not have access to a pool growing up and as a result never learned how to swim. I always wanted to learn but was mostly terrified and did not want to get out of my comfort zone. Finally this year, I decided to give it a try. I cannot say enough good things about both Kevin and Piper! They have both been patient, kind and yet persistent with me. I am incredibly grateful to both of them. I can't believe how far I have come from being scared/nervous of getting into the water to now swimming, treading water, going from tread to float, jumping into the pool and coming up on my own! I know it is not easy for an adult to learn to relax in the water or let go of all anxiety and there were moments I doubted if this would ever be successful but in the end it was! I learned a major life skill and I am very happy I chose Connect the Dots Swim. Highly recommend! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I'm thoroughly impressed with this swim school. I took my little 2 1/2 year old buddy to his 4th and then 8th lesson. He was swimming by the 4 the lesson and and was so advanced by the last it was hard to believe he had started just the week before with getting his face wet. Everything that was taught was done with a nod to pool safety.  The atmosphere at the pool is very calm and supportive but with a firmness when needed. Piper did an excellent job!I also observed the other instructor work with a child who had an obvious fear of the water.  It was taco sting to see his break through a.  I highly recommend this school. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Coach Kevin at Connect the Dots Swim is amazingly patient with kids and really moves them through the process to be safe little swimmers! Years later, my kids have learned more techniques and always love their experience! Highly recommend. You can't beat the price for the one on one lessons and results in the nice warm pool! Thanks Coach Kevin More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

My son (4.5) is on day 6 (of 8) of his first ever swim lessons and I cannot begin to say enough about how awesome Connect the Dots has been! ! He went from using a puddle jumper the day before his first lesson and not feeling comfortable putting his face underwater, to swimming 5 feet across the pool and grabbing dive toys off the bottom of the pool with his eyes open by the end of Day 1! By Day 6, he is jumping in and swimming across the pool (10ish feet), working on alternating his arms and perfecting kicks. Piper, his teacher, is wonderful with the kids, firm but gentle and good at gauging their comfort levels. Kevin (the owner) teaches at the same time and is just as patient and encouraging while still firmly pushing kids to their potential. We show up a bit early (they start and finish exactly on time) and have seen some kids who are more fearful (including crying) and they are both great with them as well! My son is going to miss Piper when we're done. :)They are a little more expensive than some of the other swim lessons locally, but WORTH EVERY PENNY! I did a lot of research on options and am so very glad to have found CtD. We'll be back next year for sure. :D More...

Reviewed on Yelp

After using 2 other local swim services we were not crazy about, I am so happy Connect The Dots was recommended by friends! My 4 1/2 year old loved coming to see Coach Piper everyday and I am so impressed with what she has learned. Really great experience that actually teaches swimming, I reccomend 100%. We will be back next summer for both kids. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

What an amazing experience!!! My daughter had never had any swim lessons before and was a bit older than 4 1/2. By lesson 3 she was essentially swimming (not super well, but nonetheless) to the instructor after jumping in. Incredible!!! Piper is the instructor in the water with my little one. She is firm, playful and very calm and reassuring. Kevin created this swim program and has been implementing it for 26 years. He is also present at every lesson. After just a few talks with him, you know he has a storing understanding of swimming and also how children learn successfully. The course is 8 days of one on one 25min lessons. It's a bit pricey ($450) but it was worth it to me. Also, that's about what yearly, ineffective lessons at my local YMCA would cost had I taken her all the previous years. But I knew that wasn't the way kids learned so I waited until I knew she was ready, and we signed up for Connect the Dots Swim. I have no regrets! And you won't either! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Our 4-year-old daughter had only used a life jacket in the pool before taking lessons with McKenna at Connect the Dots Swim. We were taking her to a water park for her older sister's birthday this summer, and I wanted to be confident that she had swimming skills before we got there. I was beyond satisfied with what two weeks with McKenna was able to teach my daughter. My daughter has always felt confident in the water, but now she was showing the skills to back it up! She loved her pool time with McKenna. McKenna did a great job of keeping the lessons exciting and challenging. McKenna was always encouraging our daughter and keeping the pace at a level where something new was being introduced. My daughter was always excited to see what new thing she would learn to do next. After two weeks, our daughter could swim towards the instructor without being held, could kick her legs, hold her face under water, was starting to use her arms, could drop in the water off the ledge & find her way back to the ledge & pull herself back out on her own. We're ridiculously proud of our daughter, but even better, our daughter is incredibly proud of herself. She knows what she accomplished is a big deal. So what happened when we got to the water park? Well she couldn't wait to show off her swimming skills! We couldn't have been happier with these swimming lessons, and yes, our daughter is already asking to go back. If you're wondering if they're worth the $$$, they are. I guess I could provide a small note about the setup itself... they have music playing during the lesson, which is fun. They are very efficient about time - getting students in and out ON TIME. There is a clipboard with info on it each day about what the lesson is and what you could do to help your child practice. The pool had a tarp over it to protect everyone from the sun (this was a big deal for me, since my child has fair skin and I'm a big believer in SPF). There are chairs for the parents to sit and watch their child while two encouraging instructors work one-on-one with their students in the pool. It is a pretty cool setup and our daughter found it very nice ... she's pretty chill and doesn't like a lot of craziness, especially when learning something new. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My almost 5 year old son has a slight fear of getting his face wet and had previously attended 3 sessions at crpd last summer. He did not learn or retain much from those sessions, between his fear of putting his face in the water, inability to keep warm (a neoprene shorty was still too cold in the summer) and short attention span. When I signed up for Connect the dots l picked lessons at midday to ensure it was warm enough for him. The main difference I noticed was that lessons were very focused. There were learning goals to be met each day, and most of the time it was exciting and fun but sometimes the kids reach an area outside of their comfort zone and the teachers at connect the dots don't back off. They firmly but gently keep working on it. That's why these 1-on-1 lessons cost more. My son had McKenna, the new lady teacher and he did well. Not a tear in the end but of course, if we don't keep practicing he will forget what he learned. Other things that will help your child to maximize learning at these lessons (not requirement but helps)-Sufficient upper body strength to push/lift themselves out of edge of pool-Able to understand/follow instruction in English-Able to handle being in and out of water in outdoor environment for 25 mins (my son needed neoprene suit and midday lessons)-Ability to coordinate limbsI watched a 6 year old learn to thread water, and swim the length of the pool (12 feet?) and he came in with some fear of water like my son. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wow! Coach Kevin is awesome. Our 4 year old was not pool safe or a swimmer. We did lessons at the WLA YMCA and it was a horrible experience. We had pretty much given up for over a year. We signed up for the 8 day program and within a few lessons he was diving to the bottom and retrieving toys. By the end he was diving from the edge and swimming strokes across the pool!Kevin has a terrific program. His wonderful, kind and patient bedside manner is respectful and competent. The setting is a private home backyard pool. The water is comfortably heated and is shaded throughout. It's a peaceful and pleasant teaching environment. We recommend Connect the Dots without reservations and are signing up for "Swim Team Prep" for our 6 year old! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

If I could give more than 5 stars to Kevin at "Connect the Dots Swim," I most certainly would do so! I recently took my 4 1/2 year old daughter to another swim school, and she was really struggling. She screamed and cried through the entire lesson, and I did not see any improvement in the month we attended (2 times a week). I could sense the frustration from some of the teachers, and I believe my daughter could feel it as well. We decided to take a break from swim lessons, since it felt like it was wasting everyone's time and our money, as well as causing more stress and anxiety to our daughter.    I had seen the great reviews on "Connect the Dots Swim," and Kevin was recommended by a friend of mine, so we decided to give it a shot. I could not be happier with the results! Our daughter instantly responded so positively to Kevin. Although she still had a tough time with some fear issues, Kevin was incredibly patient and kind with her, never showing any judgment at all. He remained focused and worked through her anxiety with compassion, while also pushing her towards her goals. Half way through his two week course, she was swimming! By the last few lessons, we could not get her out of the water! She was begging us to take her back to her swim lessons.    Kevin is an amazing teacher, and we could not be happier with him and his swim school. I would 100% recommend "Connect the Dots Swim" to anyone looking for swim lessons. We are sad our time with him is over, and we can't wait to take more lessons with Kevin next summer! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I have a 13 year old whom I have tried a few swim classes around the Conejo Valley area and not so impressed.  I am so impressed with Kevin in how he taught my 2 sons this summer and cannot wait for summer to come again.  i wish that Kevin taught longer.  He is not just an ordinary swim class instructor but an amazing teacher/mentor.  He had a passion for teaching that was very evident and an impressive approach in the way he handled children.  i would not be surprised if he is also a brilliant music teacher, as that is his main job all-year-round. He analyzes why a kid is not achieving the task as it is being taught and is very quick to come up with a solution on the right approach to the particular kid and situation.  I regret that I didn't try him sooner but he came highly recommended by a few people.  i don't really write a lot of reviews but he deserves it.  My children adores him. I wish you continued success and blessings.  i definitely would recommend that if you are in the market for a teacher be it swimming or music, Kevin Callister is Amazing!!! Check out his books too. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My husband did not understand why I decided to take my 3.5 year old son to the Westlake/Thousand Oaks area for swimming lessons when we live in Westwood and apparently have access to several swim schools around us. However, after hearing great things about Kevin, I can now vouch for the fact that every minute in traffic there and back was worth driving with an impatient toddler. My son learned more from Kevin in 2 days (out of a total of 8) than he ever did from year long lessons at the YMCA. By day 8, my son was jumping from the deep end, getting back up to the surface of the water, and swimming to the sure of the pool. A Priceless Gift. I couldn't believe my eyes when Kevin took his hand on day 8 and together, they swam to the bottom of the deep end to get the rocket ships they threw down there. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own two eyes. My hyper critical mother in law, who took him twice out of the 8 days was so impressed she begged me to sign him up for a second block. Unfortunately, Kevin was booked (no surprise) and we will wait patiently for an opening to continue. Kevin is patient, kind, and a true expert at his craft. We are so thankful to have found him. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Kevin you are a great swim instructor - you have the patients of a saint.  I highly recommend you because you are an expert at what you do - and you do it well!  If you want your child to learn how to swim, Kevin is the person.  Kevin you are a true professional and it shows by the results that your students achieve.  Keep up the good work! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My twin 4 year old boys were terrified of getting their faces wet in the pool and cried through two weeks straight of group swimming lessons last summer.  I decided that they would have to take private lessons in order to overcome their fears.  Kevin is a gentle, yet firm, teacher and was perfect for my boys!  He had them swimming to him with their heads in the water on day 3 and it was nothing short of a miracle!  My boys now LOVE swimming and want to do it everyday. Their self-confidence in the pool shows because they enjoy showing off their new skills to us (which include jumping in from the side and swimming to us and being able to swim safely to the wall if they accidently fall in).  I was very hesitant to spend the money, especially for two kids, but Coach Kevin is worth every penny!  We're so grateful to him. Thanks! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My 4 year old son was not listening to my advise on swimming. Very resistant to me teaching so I had hesitation if he would listen to anyone. Well after 8 days of lessons my son could actually swim freestyle. I was thoroughly impressed with Kevins ability to communicate and teach my son how to swim. Without a doubt I would recommend Connect the Dots swim lessons. He actually fulfills his guarantee. My son is water safe now and is continually improving on what he learned from Kevin. Thank you. More...

Reviewed on Yelp