Task Analysis of Shoe Tying — The Full Step-by-Step Breakdown

The short answer

A task analysis of shoe tying breaks the skill into 12–20 discrete, teachable steps depending on the method (bunny ears is usually 12–14 steps; the standard loop-swoop-pull method is usually 15–20). Each step is observable, measurable, and can be tracked independently — which is exactly why OTs, SPED teachers, and IEP teams build instruction and data collection around it.

I am Bobby Morong, a special education teacher and inventor of Training Ties. This is the task analysis I use in my classroom, written for OTs, teachers, parents, and anyone running data on a shoe-tying goal.

Why task analysis matters for shoe tying

Most kids who fail at shoe tying do not fail at "tying shoes." They fail at a specific step — usually one that is invisible to the adult helping them. Without breaking the skill apart, you cannot see where it is collapsing and you cannot teach to the gap. A task analysis lets you:

  • Identify the exact step the child is stuck on
  • Teach that step in isolation
  • Collect step-level data for IEP goals and OT documentation
  • Fade prompts predictably as the child masters each step
  • Use backward chaining (teach the last step first) so the child always ends on success

The bunny ears method — task analysis

The bunny ears method is usually easier for younger or fine-motor-challenged learners because both "ears" are pre-formed before crossing.

  1. Place shoe on table or lap with laces flat and even
  2. Pick up the left lace with the left hand
  3. Pick up the right lace with the right hand
  4. Cross the right lace over the left lace
  5. Tuck the right lace under the left lace
  6. Pull both laces firmly to make the first knot
  7. Form a loop ("bunny ear") with the left lace
  8. Pinch the base of the left bunny ear with the left hand
  9. Form a loop ("bunny ear") with the right lace
  10. Pinch the base of the right bunny ear with the right hand
  11. Cross the right bunny ear over the left bunny ear
  12. Tuck the right bunny ear under and through the loop created
  13. Pull both bunny ears outward firmly
  14. Check that the knot is centered and secure

14 steps total. Realistic targets for an IEP goal: 80% independence across each step over 4 consecutive sessions, or completion of the full sequence with minimal prompts in 3 of 4 trials.

The standard method (loop, swoop, pull) — task analysis

The standard method has fewer pre-formed structures and requires more precise tension control. It is often the goal once the bunny-ears foundation is solid.

  1. Place shoe on table or lap with laces flat and even
  2. Pick up the left lace with the left hand
  3. Pick up the right lace with the right hand
  4. Cross the right lace over the left lace
  5. Tuck the right lace under the left lace
  6. Pull both laces firmly to make the first knot
  7. Form a single loop with the dominant hand's lace
  8. Pinch the base of the loop with the non-dominant hand
  9. Wrap the other lace around the front of the loop
  10. Push the wrapping lace through the gap behind the loop
  11. Pinch the new loop that comes through
  12. Release the original loop
  13. Pull both loops outward simultaneously
  14. Tighten by pulling firmly with both hands
  15. Check that the bow is centered and secure

15 steps. The hardest steps are 9–11 (the wrap-and-pull-through) — this is where the lace usually collapses, and where most children give up.

Using task analysis for IEP goals and OT data

Two practical ways to use a task analysis once you have it:

Step-level data collection

For each step, record: completed independently (I), required verbal prompt (V), required gesture prompt (G), required physical prompt (P), or required full assistance (A). Over sessions, you watch the prompt level drop step by step.

Backward chaining

Start at step 14 (or 15) and have the child complete the final step independently. The adult does steps 1 through 13. When step 14 is mastered, the child takes step 13 too, then 12, and so on backward. The child always ends on a success, which protects motivation. Full backward chaining guide here.

Where most kids actually get stuck

If you run a task analysis with enough kids, a pattern emerges. The collapse usually happens at:

  • Bunny ears, step 13 — pulling outward without losing the ears
  • Standard, steps 9–11 — wrapping around the loop and pulling through without the loop collapsing

Both failure points share the same underlying problem: the lace will not hold tension while one hand does something else. That is not a skill problem — it is a lace-physics problem. Which is exactly why a scaffold that holds the lace in place at those steps changes everything.

How Training Ties maps onto task analysis

Training Ties® places checkpoints on the lace at the two specific moments where tying typically collapses (step 6 first-knot tension, and step 13 final-tightening tension). The child still performs every step of the task analysis on real shoes — the checkpoints just prevent the steps from undoing themselves. Because the child is doing the actual skill on actual laces, data collection stays clean: you are measuring shoe tying, not measuring use-of-an-aid.

Related resources

FAQ

How many steps are in a shoe-tying task analysis?

Typically 12 to 20 discrete steps depending on method. The bunny ears method is usually around 14 steps; the standard loop-swoop-pull method is usually around 15. You can subdivide further if needed for younger or more delayed learners.

What is the hardest step in shoe tying?

For most kids it is the moment that requires holding tension on a formed loop with one hand while the other hand does something else — pulling outward in bunny ears, or wrapping around and threading through in the standard method. That is almost always where instruction stalls.

How do I collect data on a shoe-tying IEP goal?

Use the task analysis above and, for each step, record the prompt level the child needed: independent, verbal, gesture, physical, or full assistance. Over sessions, prompts should fade step by step. This produces the kind of step-level data IEP teams and OTs need for goal review.

What is backward chaining in task analysis?

Backward chaining means starting at the final step of the task analysis, having the child complete just that step, and then handing off the previous step as the child masters each one. The child always ends on a successful step, which protects motivation across sessions.

Can Training Ties be used during step-level data collection?

Yes. Training Ties holds the lace at the moments where it usually collapses, which means the child can attempt every step on the task analysis instead of restarting from step one. Data reflects actual skill rather than lace failure.

Shop Training Ties® — $25

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