Bright Ideas: Shoe Tying Trick

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We all have them... those kiddos whose shoes are NEVER tied... And why is it that those kiddos' laces are the longest ones on the planet?

As a second grade teacher, my general rule is that I don't tie shoes. At 7/8 years old, you should be able to tie your shoes. And if you can't, then you find a friend to help you. But I have a soft spot in my heart for those kiddos who try and try and try, but just don't have the fine motor skills to do it... probably because that's going to be my own 4-year-old when he's in second grade.

So, yes, I will help some kids tie their shoes. Except I'm not going to double-knot the laces because then kids can't take them out, and it usually leads to a big, knotty mess. Instead I'm going to use a little shoe tying trick I learned in my Teaching PE class I had to take as an undergrad.
I figured the easiest way to explain it to you would be to make a video:
This trick is the only thing I remember from the class. In fact, it might be one of the only things I remember from my whole undergrad experience. Hey, cut me some slack... it's been 10 years!

Can shoes still come untied using this method? Yes. However, it does take some effort for shoes to come untied. You might have noticed that I did have to tug a bit on the loop to get it to come out. I don't want it to be impossible for my kids to get their shoes untied; in my school, they have to change into shoes for PE class, or even when they get home and want to take them off. However, I've been tying my own shoes and my kids' shoes like this for the last 10+ years, and they have never once come untied on their own or if someone accidentally stepped on the laces.

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9 comments

  1. Thanks for the video. It's a great tutorial.

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  2. LOVE this! So many of my kids cannot tie shoes!
    Rowdy in First Grade

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  3. Huh! So easy! I will have to try this next year! Thanks for sharing

    Sarah
    Teachingiscolorful.blogspot.com

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  4. wow! I too learned something new! I can't wait to try this.
    Patty
    Second In Line

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  5. Most students in my 2nd grade class cannot tie shoes! Mainly because kids don't wear shoes in Hawaii, lol. Seriously I need to have some sort of shoe tying reward this year! I will try this :)

    Aloha,
    Corinna (✿◠‿◠)
    Surfin' Through Second

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  6. Love this way of how to tie shoes because I'm not the best at teaching those little ones how to tie shoes. Thanks for sharing! Kristi
    Teaching Little Miracles

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  7. It amazes me when my second graders can't tie shoes! Thanks for the bright idea!

    Sally from Elementary Matters

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