The next time someone asks you why you take your kids to Goldfish, be prepared: your answer might be a little different. Not only are we teaching your kids lifelong swimming skills, we’re also preparing them for success in the classroom. You heard right: your kids’ time in the pool translates to higher marks at school.

Let’s back up a bit: at Goldfish, we’re, first and foremost, committed to teaching your children how to swim and also how to enjoy the water safely. Just check out one of our many success stories.

Our number one mission has always been water safety. But did you know we’re equally dedicated to education? Education in stroke technique and team building, of course, but also through books they’re reading in the viewing area and-probably the most surprising-how they’re performing in the classroom.

That’s right-swimming, especially at an early age, has been scientifically linked to an increased performance in visual motor skills and oral expression in kids under 5.

Late last year, a study was published on the topic by Australia’s Griffith University. Over the course of three years, researchers surveyed parents of 7,000 kids under the age of five from Australia, New Zealand and the United States. What they found was that children who swam during their developmental years achieved several physical and mental milestones faster than their non-swimming counterparts. This was measured by their ability to cut paper, color between the lines, draw shapes and perform other mathematical tasks.

The lead researcher, Professor Robyn Jorgensen, says that the type of instruction and sensory learning kids are exposed to early on in swim lessons translates almost seamlessly into the type of learning they’ll do in the classroom.

So, as your kids are kicking about, mastering the backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle and butterfly, think about all the good it’s doing, not just for their bodies, but also for their minds.

So, you tell us: why do you take your kids to Goldfish?