To Tie or Not to Tie

Should teachers teach young children to tie their shoes? Should parents be responsible for this teaching their child to tie their shoes? While teaching first grade I have heard a few kindergarten thru second grade teachers saying that they have enough to teach beside wasting time tying shoes. I don't feel the same way. Teachers have the painstaking job of modeling and teaching a lot of what can be done at home. How to meet and greet a new friend, how to stand next to someone without touching them, how to knock before going into restroom etc. We teach all kinds of things that are not CORE curriculum! Tying shoes takes time but can be so rewarding. Everything is not so black and white- let parents know there is goal in the classroom and I'm sure they will help. Tying shoes can be a simple math center, a writing or reading center and a simple social activity among friends. This week I will develop 2 centers that focus on Tying shoes for Kdgn and first graders. Tying shoes Stay tuned.

The Shoe-Tying Song

Teach your students this catch song, and not only will there be lots of singing going on, but lots of

shoe tying too! This is sung to the tune of “Mulberry Bush.”

This is the way we tie our shoes, tie our shoes, tie our shoes.

This is the way we tie our shoes in kindergarten.

Take the ends and cross the laces, cross the laces, cross the laces.

Take the ends and cross the laces, as we tie our shoes.

Take one lace and loop it through, look it through, loop it through.

Take one lace and loop it through, as we tie our shoes.

Next, you pull the laces down, laces down, laces down.

Next, you pull the laces down, as we tie our shoes.

With one lace we make a loop, make a loop, make a loop.

With one lace we make a loop, as we tie our shoes.

Take one lace and wrap it around, wrap it around, wrap it around.

Take one lace and wrap it around, as we tie our shoes.

Grab the tip and pull it through, pull it through, pull it through.

Grab the tip and pull it through, as we tie our shoes.

Then we have to pull them tight, pull them tight, pull them tight.

Then we have to pull them tight; we can tie our shoes!

Pamel Kilrain—Gr. K

Helotes Elementary

Helotes, TX