How Teachers and OTs Can Build Shoe Tying Into the First Month of School

How Teachers and OTs Can Build Shoe Tying Into the First Month of School

The first month of school is the best time for teachers, occupational therapists, SPED teams, and adapted PE staff to identify which students need shoe-tying support, set a simple intervention routine, and collect baseline data before frustration hardens into avoidance.

I am Bobby Morong, a special education teacher and the inventor of Training Ties. In classrooms, shoe tying is never just about shoes. It affects transitions, recess safety, gym participation, peer confidence, IEP independence goals, and how much adult time gets spent bending down all day.

This is the practical first-month plan I would use: screen quickly, teach in short routines, collect prompt-level data, and use a scaffold only when the laces are the thing causing the failure.

The short answer for school teams

Do not try to make every student tie shoes independently in September. Instead, use the first month to sort students into three groups:

  • Independent: can tie and tighten shoes without adult help.
  • Ready to learn: can follow directions and use both hands, but the knot or loop keeps collapsing.
  • Not ready yet: needs foundation work, regulation support, or a temporary shoe accommodation for safety.

The ready-to-learn group is where a classroom or OT tool such as Training Ties can move the fastest, because the child is not missing the whole concept. They are losing the laces mid-task.

Week 1: Screen without making it a public test

During arrival, PE transitions, recess, or end-of-day routines, quietly note who can manage their shoes and who cannot. Avoid turning shoe tying into a public performance. Kids already know when peers can do something they cannot do yet.

Use a simple screen:

  • Can the student put the shoe on independently?
  • Can they tighten the laces?
  • Can they make the first knot?
  • Can they form one loop?
  • Where does the sequence fall apart?

If you need a full step breakdown, use the task analysis of shoe tying. It gives clean steps for data collection and IEP support.

Week 2: Teach one step, not the whole bow

The mistake most adults make is asking for the entire bow too soon. Shoe tying is a chain. If a student is stuck at step three, more reminders about step eight will not help.

Pick one target step per student:

  • First knot
  • Making the first loop
  • Wrapping the second lace
  • Pulling the bow tight
  • Double knotting for safety

Use the same words every time. If verbal language overloads the student, switch to silent demonstration, visual cues, or two-color laces.

Week 3: Add a scaffold when the lace-collapse problem is the blocker

Some students understand the next step but lose the knot or loop before they can complete it. This is the classic lace-collapse problem. The child is not refusing. The task keeps deleting their progress.

Training Ties for classrooms and OTs solves that specific problem by holding progress at the two failure points: after the first knot and after the first loop. That lets the learner pause, plan, and finish the next step on their own real shoe.

That matters because school teams need generalization. A board, toy, or worksheet can teach the idea, but the skill has to work on the shoe the student wears to recess.

Week 4: Start fading and hand off to home

By the fourth week, you should know which students are gaining independence and which need a longer OT or IEP pathway. For students making progress, start fading support:

  • Full physical assistance
  • Partial physical assistance
  • Gesture prompt
  • Verbal prompt
  • Independent

This I/V/G/P/A prompt scale makes shoe tying measurable instead of vague. It also gives parents a clear way to understand progress.

Send a short home note: “We are practicing shoe tying at school. Your child is working on [step]. Please practice for five calm minutes, not during the morning rush.” For parent-facing support, share the back-to-school shoe-tying checklist.

A first-month classroom routine that actually works

Keep it small. A shoe-tying station does not need to take over the classroom.

  1. Choose 2-4 students at a time. Small groups beat whole-class instruction.
  2. Use real shoes. Practice should happen on the shoes students actually wear.
  3. Practice for five minutes. Stop before the student melts down.
  4. Track one target step. Do not score the whole bow if the student is only working on the first knot.
  5. End on a win. Adult help is allowed if it preserves confidence and keeps the sequence meaningful.

Sample IEP language for shoe tying

Here is a simple starting point:

By [date], given a real shoe and an appropriate shoe-tying scaffold, [student] will complete the targeted shoe-tying step with no more than verbal prompting in 4 of 5 trials across 3 consecutive sessions.

For full templates, use Shoe-Tying Tools for IEP Goals and the longer IEP goal-writing guide.

When not to push shoe tying yet

Some students need a temporary accommodation. That is not failure. It is good teaching.

Pause full shoe-tying instruction if the student:

  • Cannot tolerate touching laces yet
  • Cannot follow a one-step motor direction
  • Becomes unsafe or highly dysregulated during practice
  • Needs a shoe solution immediately for mobility or safety

In those cases, use Velcro, elastic laces, or adult support for the school day, while OT works on the underlying readiness skills. The goal is independence, not a daily public struggle.

What to keep in a classroom shoe-tying kit

For schools, clinics, and classrooms supporting multiple learners, the Training Ties 3-Pack is usually the practical starting point.

Related resources

FAQ

Should teachers teach shoe tying at school?

Teachers do not need to replace parents or OTs, but shoe tying often affects school safety, independence, and transitions. A short classroom routine can identify who needs support and help students practice without turning it into a crisis.

How can OTs collect shoe-tying data?

Use a task analysis and prompt-level scale: independent, verbal, gestural, partial physical, or full physical assist. Track one target step at a time.

What is the best shoe-tying tool for classrooms?

The best classroom tool works on real shoes, supports measurable prompting, and fades as the skill develops. Training Ties was designed for that kind of scaffolded practice.

How long should school shoe-tying practice last?

Five minutes is usually enough. Short, calm, repeated practice is better than long sessions that end in frustration.

What if a student still needs Velcro?

Use Velcro or another accommodation when it is needed for safety and independence during the school day. Keep building the underlying lace-tying skill separately if the student is ready.

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