Why can't you tie shoes before like age 4? Please Help!!?

Question

I have to do this project and i need to know the biological reason of why it is difficult to tie your shoes before the age of 4 or 5. Please help me, and include where you got it from. its REALLY important. thx!

Answer 1

I tied them at age 2...not bragging, but I find it interesting the normal age is 4 or 5. Basically, it takes some concentration and being able to remember a sequence that involves fine motor skills. I guess I got it from watching 5 year olds tie try and tie shoes but either get bored (short attention span) or give up after unsuccessful attempts.

Answer 2

Motor skills aren't developed. Look up motor skills if you don't know what the term means.

Answer 3

children at the age of 4 just don't have the dexterity to achieve this small motor skill.  we only teach tying shoes if the child is interested. We have a play shoe out with laces but not too many pick it up. Occasionally, we'll get one at the end of the year and we'll sit down and they'll have it.  But they have to show the interest first.  Google small motor skills or preschool dexterity for a resource.

Answer 4

The children's motor skills are not developed enough to follow the process of this yet. Also the memorization of something other than words takes more "brain power" to do. As children grow and develope these simple tasks become easier in time. Remember your brain is a muscle the more you use it the stronger your brain gets,  same for children.

Answer 5

They "say" that kid's fine motor skills aren't developed, but many disagree. Break any skill down into small steps and they can at a younger age. Practice, interst and encouragement. Oh and drop the Velcro!

Montessori Educated kids do it earlier.

http://www.mommylife.net/archives/2007/0...

Answer 6

Basic motor skills take time to achieve A motor skill is a skill that requires an organism to utilize their skeletal muscles effectively in a goal directed manner. Motor skills and motor control depend upon the proper functioning of the brain, skeleton, joints, and nervous system. Most motor skills are learned throughout the lifespan and can be affected by disabilities. Motor development is the development of action and coordination of one's limbs, as well as the development of strength, posture control, balance, and perceptual skills.

Motor skills are into two parts:

Gross motor skills include lifting one's head, rolling over, sitting up, balancing, crawling, and walking. Gross motor development usually follows a pattern. Generally large muscles develop before smaller ones. Thus, gross motor development is the foundation for developing skills in other areas (such as fine motor skills). Development also generally moves from top to bottom. The first thing a baby usually learns is to control is its eyes.

Fine motor skills include the ability to manipulate small objects, transfer objects from hand to hand, and various hand-eye coordination tasks. Fine motor skills may involve the use of very precise motor movement in order to achieve an especially delicate task. Some examples of fine motor skills are using the pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) to pick up small objects, cutting, coloring and writing, and threading beads. Fine motor development refers to the development of skills involving the smaller muscle groups.

Answer 7

Tying shoes requires small motor skills, attention to details and interest in the subject matter. Most young children are not capable of this. In addition, no one should attempt to force this type of activity before a child is ready.

Answer 8

Like other people said, it's all related to fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.  It's also a sequence that has to be followed.  Children should be provided with opportunities to develop fine motor skills, like lacing beads or playing with toys that have zippers, buttons, laces, etc.  The age kids learn to tie shoes depends on the child.  Some do it earlier, some do it later depending on their previous experiences and developmental level.

By the way, the Montessori answer seems a bit biased.  There's no research to back that up and it implies that kids who don't go to Montessori are somehow behind.  Not true at all.  Montessori tends to spend a good amount of time on teaching children self-help skills, so it's possible children would simply have lots of experiences to learn that skill.  Most children would learn a specific skill earlier if someone spent a lot of time teaching them that skill.

Answer 9

You motor skills havent developed yet