Dog paddling

The child swims at least ten meters with outstretched arms shoulder-width apart and alternating legs. The forearm of one arm moves toward the chest — palm facing backward to displace the water — while the upper arm and elbow stay in place; once it returns to the extended position, the other arm repeats the movement. This trains the elbow position for the crawl: only the forearm pulls backward while the elbow remains high, since pulling with a straight arm would direct the force downward without effective propulsion.