Let’s face it, tying one’s shoes is a basic life skill that children should learn because accomplishing this task helps build a “fine motor foundation.” As Occupational Therapist we know this to be TRUE! We have also heard many parents say that teaching is BEST done by a teacher or someone other than themselves. This may or may not be true of your students. That being said, it is always good to get some insight as to how to approach this skill so that you’re successful. One of the BEST tips that we can offer is to make sure your students have a great, ready to learn attitude and that the information is broken down and presented in their particular learning style. Some children pick up the task quickly and others require more time to practice the task-analyzed steps.

So why not start a shoe tying class? Children excel in group settings where their peers are also learning the same skill. You may very well find that girls pick up on the skill faster than boys. That is great! I like to have “little leaders” help me with the other learners in the class. The trick to holding a very successful shoe tying class pertains to the method and tools you choose to use! So, what is the best way to teach children to tie their shoes? Based on research-based evidence, we teach using either right-hand or left-hand dominance when forming the initial loop and choose not to teach the double bunny ear method for several reasons. This is where Shoe Tying Made Simple comes into play.

We have taken out all the guesswork and put in lots of “fun” when teaching this skill. We offer a training class on the method and get into the science and evidence as to “why” this method works so well for all different types of learners. So, if you are an educator, occupational therapist, or an owner of children’s boutique shoe store then we are looking for you! With a team of experts that are trained in the Shoe Tying Made Simple methodology, we would like to give instructors the tools to help build their confidence in the children they are instructing.