The American Red Cross believes that one way to help reduce drowning incidents among children ages 5 through 12 is to teach water safety education in elementary schools and other youth programs. The American Red Cross created Longfellow’s WHALE Tales to help teachers and youth leaders teach children about safe behavior in, on and around the water. The materials in the Longfellow’s WHALE Tales K–6 Educational Packet are designed to give children an awareness of being safe around the water and to help promote healthful aquatic recreation.
Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow started the Red Cross Lifesaving Corps in 1914 to train volunteers in the methods of lifesaving and resuscitation. His next step was to provide large-scale instruction in swimming. The commodore’s teaching philosophy was to “entertain the public hugely while educating them gently.” He did just that. In tribute to Commodore Longfellow, who was known as the “amiable whale,” the mascot for the education packet and the video is Longfellow, a blue whale. WHALE is an acronym for Water Habits Are Learned Early.
If you are reading this, you undoubtedly know the importance of teaching water safety not only to younger children but also to not wait until late-spring or summer to do so. Because of the importance the American Red Cross has made all of the WHALE Tales materials available for download, free of charge. You can find the materials at http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/program-highlights/swimming/whale-tales. Now is the time to start encouraging teachers, libarians, boy/girl scout leaders, etc to commit to offer this simple, but lifesaving program.
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