March 3, 2011 4:59 PM
Teaching kids to tie shoes - shoelaces
Rerunning this for the benefit of new readers:
Meg asked about teaching kids to tie shoes. I have to admit, I find this one of the most daunting requirements of being a mother.I personally have always tied my own shoes the "wrong" way: by making two loops and then tying them. I think this way actually works best for teaching kids, though.
You can see it demonstrated step-by-step at Two Lace Shoelace Knot at a fascinating place called Ian's Shoelace Site.
For parents just beginning this adventure, the important thing is to remember that it's just like anything else we teach children: we have to take something we've done automatically and easily for years and analyze it, breaking it down into teensy tiny steps. Whatever method you use to teach your children, Ian's Site will help you understand the process thoroughly so that you can pass on this important part of our heritage to your children :)
Often teachers give children a big shoe with shoelaces to learn on. Personally, I think it's actually easier for the child to learn to tie laces while wearing his shoe on his foot. That stabilized the shoe. What you can do is sit behind your child on the floor so you can work hand over hand with him.
You can also rig the lace so one side is black (use a Sharpie). This will make it easier to define what is going on during a complicated process.
Meg, thanks for asking about this. I really enjoyed discovering Ian's Shoelace Site and being able to pass it on.
Posted in Preschoolers | Permalink
