BOOK GIVE-A-WAY: The Centipede Who Couldn’t Tie His Shoes

We have a winner!  Congratulations to Sue R! 

Attention all teachers and therapists!  Have you ever known a child who struggled with learning to tie her shoes?  This is an important task that seems basic, but it is actually very complex, and for a child with special needs, shoe-tying can be overwhelming. Fortunately, Karen Dobyns, OTD, OTR/L has written a very special book on shoe-tying that every professional who works with young children needs to have on their bookshelf! 

“The Centipede Who Couldn’t Tie His Shoes” tells the story of Ben, a kind and sensitive second grader with visual challenges who is having difficulty learning how to tie his shoes. Obviously, this is a big problem, because Ben is a centipede with 100 feet!  What to do?  I’m not going to tell you what happens, because I want you to purchase the book, but rest assured the problem is solved when a school occupational therapist enters the picture.

This lovely book includes sections that explain shoe-tying, and it will help young children without special needs see the perspective of a child who might need special services and support.  To top it off, the delightful illustrations bring Ben’s world to life!

Click HERE to purchase the book on Amazon. Please click HERE to like my Facebook page.

Karen Dobyns, OTD, OTR/L, is a pediatric occupational therapist who has spent her career working with children with special needs in schools, clinics, and homes.  She has a clinical doctorate and master’s in occupational therapy.  Special note: Karen is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Occupational Therapy, which is where I teach! Everyone at UTHSC is extremely proud of her accomplishments!

Easy Tie Shoe Laces Make Shoe Tying Easy!

 

I was recently contacted by the founder of Easy Tie Shoe laces, and she offered to provide me with several pairs of these new laces. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try this new product out with my pediatric clients.

When I opened the package, I immediately noticed the bright colors! With a variety of lace colors available, this gives a child the opportunity to choose his or her favorite pair, which makes the task much more fun than using traditional laces!

Each individual lace is two different colors so that a child doesn’t confuse the laces when learning to tie. This makes it easy to provide instruction because you can tell the child, “make a loop out of the blue lace and wrap the yellow lace around the blue loop.” Another benefit to these shoelaces is that the slightly stiff texture keeps the laces from flopping around, making it easier to manipulate them when tying. Finally, Easy Tie laces are designed so that they will always stay even in length.

Watch how easy it is for Susie to practice shoe tying using the Easy Tie laces!

For more information about Easy Tie laces, visit wwweasytieshoelaces.com or purchase a pair on Amazon!

Video for Teaching Shoe Tying

Tying shoes is a challenging skill that requires motor planning and dexterity.  A child should be independent with shoe tying by 7 years of age, but many children master this skill much earlier. When teaching shoe tying, it's a good idea to practice with a shoe that is placed just in front of the child, either on the floor or a table (rather than on their foot).  Here is a video of one strategy that I frequently use with kids.

Remember, the best way to develop fluency with shoe tying is to practice, practice, practice!


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