News 4: Since when was it the school's responsibility to teach kids how to tie their shoes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


On News 4 this morning, one of the anchors pretty much blamed teachers and schools for the fact that some first graders didn't know how to tie their shoes this year after the pandemic. It showed a school in Alexandria that was helping students to tie their shoes.

Since when was it the schools' responsibility to teach this? Teaching kids how to tie their shoes is a parent's job. Kids were home at that time and parents didn't teach their kids how to do this? This shouldn't be blamed on the schools.



Schools refused to open for a year and a half. Of course it’s their fault that kids don’t know how to do tasks they learn at school.

You didn't teach your kids how to tie their shoes at home?

[Anonymous]

Barely anything needs to be tied anymore thanks to velcro and slip-on. And not many analog clocks to look at. It’s like being shocked that a 5yo still hasn’t learned how to embroider or plant corn. I taught my 5yo how to wash their utensils, clean their place at table, etc.

[Anonymous]

I coach soccer. And I will say, the population of 8 year olds who play soccer is huge. But the population of 8 year olds who can tie their own cleats? Not so big. But those who can are the first on the field, ready to play and lead the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it sounds silly when you pick a single example like this, but everyone working in ECE or 1st grade with kids who missed school last year knows this is a bit of an issue.

This is what “learning loss” looks like for kids who did virtual K or PK. Alongside literacy and some very basic math, most of what kids learn in ECE are basic life skills. Tying shoes, putting on and taking off clothes, cleaning, how to stand in line, how to wait your turn, how to choose between a menu of activities, sharing, experiencing disappointment, following a schedule, communicating clearly with adults, etc.

Yes, parents can and should teach their kids these things. But the process is slower and more uneven when kids learn them at home. School is like magic fir acquiring these skills, because school has major advantages over parents. They can utilize peer learning, since kids can watch each other. Seeing a child their own age perform a skill is much more useful to them than watching an adult do it. Kids are also often more open to learning these skill at school— at home they are more likely to resist or refuse, or lean on having a parent do things for them. ECE teachers have training and experience in overcoming those things, plus also tend to have a special kind of authority with the kids that is hard to replicate at home. ECE classrooms also often introduce skills and then let parents know so they can reinforce at home. It’s a collaborative approach and it works really well.

Kids who didn’t get that last year are at a distinct disadvantage, because these are skills schools build on as a child advances to another grade. If 90% of your class doesn’t have some of the basic skills they should have learned previously, you are going to have to take time that would be spent on literacy and other academics, and dedicate it to life skills. And 1st grade teachers have less experience teaching these things and may be less effective.

This is why “they’ll catch up, it’s not a big deal” was an irresponsible position last year, especially for ECE and early elementary. And anyone teaching these grades knows it. They do catch up, but some kids may slip through and there may be consequences to these delays.

Really? Teaching ONE child to tie his/her own shoes is slower than one teacher trying to teach 25 kids? Nope. Stop trying to pass the buck and teach your kid yourself. You taught them how to get dressed so finish the job!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

On News 4 this morning, one of the anchors pretty much blamed teachers and schools for the fact that some first graders didn't know how to tie their shoes this year after the pandemic. It showed a school in Alexandria that was helping students to tie their shoes.

Since when was it the schools' responsibility to teach this? Teaching kids how to tie their shoes is a parent's job. Kids were home at that time and parents didn't teach their kids how to do this? This shouldn't be blamed on the schools.

Schools refused to open for a year and a half. Of course it’s their fault that kids don’t know how to do tasks they learn at school.

School buildings were closed. School happened. And I promise you, tying shoes is NOT in the curriculum. It’s something teachers did for kids more than taught them, simply out of necessity. It’s 100% on you if your kid can’t tie shoes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I coach soccer. And I will say, the population of 8 year olds who play soccer is huge. But the population of 8 year olds who can tie their own cleats? Not so big. But those who can are the first on the field, ready to play and lead the team.

Maybe because those kids have superior motor skills?

[Anonymous]

Because parents don't want to be burdened with parenting anymore. Schools need to teach kids to tie their shoes, wash their hands after using the bathroom, basic manners.

Plus provide kids with breakfast, lunch, snacks, winter coats, new tennis shoes, psychologists, OT/PT, speech...the list goes on.

[Anonymous]

We learned at school and at home. Perhaps it wasn’t a part of the formal curriculum, but our teachers took the time to help us learn. There is a program in DCPS that teaches kids to ride a bike. Is that a bad thing?

[Anonymous]

I taught my sons how to tie shoes the summer before K. I never considered it was someone else’s job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We learned to tie shoes in K. Half day Kindergarten and the teacher had time to make sure everyone learned. All my siblings learned in K too.

Same!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We learned to tie shoes in K. Half day Kindergarten and the teacher had time to make sure everyone learned. All my siblings learned in K too.

Same!!

Half-day kindergarten? When was this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does a 1st grader really need to know how to tie a shoe in the age of velcro and boas (those spin wheels that my kids prefer even as teens)? Mine would never have chosen tie shows at that age. Eventually, third grade or so, they get cleats or hiking boots for camp or some other specialty shoes, and they need to tie them. At that age, you show them once or twice and they have it learned. It’s like the people who spend months potty training an 18 month old vs the people who spend three days potty training a 3 year old. It’s your choice, but it’s not really necessary to teach things before the kid is interested.

If, as a parent, you decide not to teach a your kid how to tie their shoes “before the kid is interested”, then don’t send your kid to school with shoes that need to be tied — unless you tie and double knot them first.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the bar for parenting is getting lower.
Rreally? Pushing this responsibility off on the schools? Are schools also supposed to teach kids how to brush and floss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the bar for parenting is getting lower.
Rreally? Pushing this responsibility off on the schools? Are schools also supposed to teach kids how to brush and floss?

We have a dentist that comes to our ES for two weeks each school year. The tooth decay in students' baby teeth shows that parents aren't teaching their kids to brush and floss. Many of them have caps on their baby teeth. It's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We learned to tie shoes in K. Half day Kindergarten and the teacher had time to make sure everyone learned. All my siblings learned in K too.

1980 was a wonderful year!

I distinctly remember learning shoe-tying in my half-day kindergarten in 1996.