shoe tying

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 3/30/01 9:26:27 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Judithrehling@... writes:

<<

I have a good friend who wants to teach her dtr. with ds to tie her shoes.

I have never had any luck with this skill and none of my kids tie their

shoes..I gave up on that goal years ago. But maybe some of you have had

success??

Thanks in advance,

Judy >>

Gosh Judy. I think shoe tying is a real tough one. I know many *typical*

kids who get to second grade and still can't do it. And living in the world

of velcro hasn't helped. Miss Maddie is NOWHERE near tying shoes (Geez,

we're still working on pulling up her own pants), but with the other kids, we

did the " make bunny ears " and we sang a little song along with it. For us,

it was just one of those things that you had to do thousands of times.

Also, since we have five, it was like we really only had to teach two of

them......the rest learn it from each other...LOL

Donna

[Guest guest]

Judy,

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Busy days, you know.

Matt is learning to tie his shoes this year. It is a very long process.

He is 10, in 3rd grade, and spends about 50% of his time in the resource

room. I know that they do this first thing when he goes in there. They

have a large (about 3-5 inch) block. One of the regular blocks that kids

play with. Stapled in the middle of one of the flat big sides, is a long

shoe string. They have colored one side of the string a different color,

so that as you look at the block, and the shoe string is stretched out

straight, the right side may be blue, while the left side is white.

They started with making the first knot. Each one side was brought way

over the other and left, then then other side was brought over. This is

where the colors help. ( " Ok, bring the blue one over to the white one.

Now bring the white one over to the empty side " ) then they showed him the

" hole " left in the middle, and had him learn to make it bigger. Then he

threads one of the strings through that hole and pulls tight. I think it

is importatnt to have a set script, that everyone uses each time.

Next came " make a loop " . Just make that loop. NOthing else. it is

difficult to make the right size loop, low enough down on one of the

strings. The strings have to be long. And flexible (Somewhat " worn " ). And

the pincer grasp has to be there for it.

Next step, was picking up the other string while holding the loop. Then

it was bringing that string around. Then finding where to push it

through, finally, pulling tight. After he learned each of these steps,

then they have him put his shoe on the desk and practice on his shoe,

after practicing on the block. After he could do it on his shoe on the

desk, they made him sit on the floor and tie his shoe on his foot. Then

learn to tie each shoe. One was ok, but trying to do the other was very

difficult.

We are still in this process. If the shoe laces are not the right kind or

length, he cannot do it. Most times, he has to practice on the block

before he can do it on his shoe, and it takes probably 10 mintues for him

to tie both of his shoes! I have to remember to allow enough time.

Usually I dont' in the morning when the bus is coming!

I know they were frustrated when he went back from track break,a nd had

" lost " a lot of the process. We tried every day, but I didnt' have the

block, and he still needs to practice with the block. For Matt, now, it

is not a question of knowing " how " , but of the fine motor control

necessary to do it. He knows what to do, but his fingers don't work for

him sometimes.

And when they started about how " frustrating " it is as an educator for a

child to be sent home on track break and come back losing skills, I shot

right back about how " frustrating' it is for a mother, too, not to

mention how frustrating it must be to Matt, to know he knows how to do

something, and could in the past, but is having trouble doing it again!

SHe shut up really quick!

Hope this helps.

S

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[Guest guest]

Thanks ...I will pass it along.

Judy

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 4/2/01 10:11:19 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

stolzfamily@... writes:

<< Matt is learning to tie his shoes this year. It is a very long process.

He is 10, in 3rd grade, and spends about 50% of his time in the resource

room. I know that they do this first thing when he goes in there. They

have a large (about 3-5 inch) block. One of the regular blocks that kids

play with. Stapled in the middle of one of the flat big sides, is a long

shoe string. They have colored one side of the string a different color,

so that as you look at the block, and the shoe string is stretched out

straight, the right side may be blue, while the left side is white.

>>

,

This was such good advice. I filed this with future needs!

Gail

[Guest guest]

Good job, good job on the educators to Matt's life on

letting him learn to tie his shoes.

=====

Friends Till The End

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

Re: ( ) Update on us..some good,some bad

Re shoe tying, my ds couldn't tie his shoes until he was about 9 or 10. They

didn't have all

those nice slip ons then. We used those curly cue laces that you just wrap

together.

My DD (8 1/2 yrs NT) can tie shoes becasue of the above. This mornign she

walked up to me with tears in her eyes. She had on her new light up unicorn

sneakers and couldn't tie them. Why I kept buying the others it was just easier

and it DS 10(AS,ADD) got them she thought they were cool.

[Guest guest]

Here is a site you [all] might enjoy....I tie my shoes this way now

and the laces don't come untied as easily as before.

www.freedomknot.com/flash.html

Beverly