Are you kids wearing velcro, buckles or lace ups for school this year? There is a growing trend {just my observation} for kids to start school with velcro fastenings on their shoes {mine included}. Kids are learning to tie their shoe laces at a later age putting off this "difficult" challenge. Tying shoe laces is a complex skill that requires the integration of both sides of the body (bilateral coordination), integration of what is seen and hand movement (visual motor integration), planning, sequencing and manual dexterity. Developmentally, kids are ready from about 5 years of age to start learning to tie shoe laces, although some may not master it for a while. In this article, I have collated some terrific tips by fabulous therapy bloggers for helping your child to tie shoe laces. Technique There are generally 2 techniques used to tie shoe laces. The single loop and the double loop methods. Tonya from Therapy Fun Zone describes these two methods with excellent step by step pictures to guide your child. She even introduces a third method! Read about it here... Top Tips Try attaching two pipecleaners (different colours) to your shoes to teach shoelace tying. I first saw this idea on Pinterest and it really helps! The stiffness of the pipecleaners means that if a "loop" is dropped then it doesn't automatically lose it's shape. Having two different colours helps to separate out what the left side is doing compared with the right side, breaking down the task into smaller steps. Eg. You can say ... make a loop with the yellow pipecleaner and pinch the bottom of the loop. Take the green pipecleaner and wrap it around the yellow loop. etc. Remember to look out for other opportunities to practise tying a bow with your kids! Wrapping presents, ribbon in hair, ties on tracksuit pants, tying a ribbon on a doll or teddy, tying a lead to toy dog, etc. Make the most of everyday opportunities. Find more top tips for teaching your child to encourage success...
Try alternatives If your kids continue to have difficulty learning how to tie their shoe laces you may like to consider some alternatives. Most of the tools on the market help stabilise the laces when learning to tie laces and often provide two colours to help with lace confusion. Note: any giveaways you may read about in these articles have closed.
Still confused?
Do you have a child learning to tie shoelaces? What technique has worked for you? You may also like...
31/1/2015 11:25:42 am
Great tips! We're still in velcro, but it won't be long! #aussieparentingbloggers 31/1/2015 12:21:40 pm
We have our fourth child going off to school this year for the first time, & for his first pair of school shoes they are velcro. In the meantime though we are practicing our shoe tying, it's a little tricky for little fingers at the moment still, so I'll be pulling two pipe cleaners out of the craft box to help him. 1/2/2015 01:29:13 am
Shoe tying is tricky for little hands, hope the pipe cleaners help! 2/2/2015 01:20:32 am
I love the pipecleaner idea for teaching kids how to tie shoelaces! My daughter is quite tall so finding her a pair of velcro sneakers to wear for her first year of school was quite tricky as by the time you get to size 13 they are usually only laces. Time to start practising in time for the next pair I think! 2/2/2015 05:00:48 am
What a great idea with the pipe cleaners. My youngest (now 8yrs old) is still trying master this skill. Being the youngest of 4, it is easier and quicker for one of the family to do it so he has never really learnt. But this year we bought him school schools to tie up... think it will be a long year.
Betsy Laswell
3/2/2015 08:09:21 am
Love the idea of pipe cleaners. After 30 years of working with children, I have learned to break down the shoe-tying steps further. When you cross the stings initially, is it the right string over the left or the left string over the right? When tying shoes with 1 bow, you need to specify is it on the left or the right? When you "go around the bow" is it clockwise or counter-clockwise? The goal is to tie the shoe so that it stays tied without double knots. I like the suggestion of sitting next to or behind the child. Comments are closed.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. SEARCH THIS SITE
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. |
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