What age should they be able to tie laces?

[winnie76winnie]

My ds starts school in September, and I haven't taught him to tie laces yet. Is it something I should be doing over the summer, or will they expect him to go to school in velcro shoes? (he's one of the older ones with a birthday before Christmas if that helps!)

Thanks!

They will expect him in velcro shoes. I am sure some 5 year olds can tie laces but I don't personally know any.

Thanks! I was worried he might be the only one that couldnt!

I think it is more like 7 or 8, when they are able to tie shoes that stay tied. Even then, many don't bother and go around with untied laces.

Keep them in velcro as long as poss! You'll do less nagging.

Most schoools prefer velcro in reception. We are asked to teach them to tie laces by the start of Year 3 (when they are 7 going on 8) but mainly because they need football boots etc by then.

i've had quite a few kids in p2 (yr1) who could...don't know about earlier...it's amazing though the number of parents who send their kids in with laced up shoes, on gym days, when the kids don't know how to re-tie them....argh!!

yes, it does seem to be 7 nowadays, dd1 certainly wasn't able to do it in reception AFAIK.
I do remember being able to tie my own laces when I was 4 (and I'm quite clumsy really), but I guess at that time most shoes were lace-up ones.

Agree with SqueakyPop ...even if they can tie laces I absolutely guarantee that they won't! My dd begged and begged in the shoe shop for some lace up shoes she wanted. I relened under the pressure but told her she had to keep laces tied...did she? not on your life!!! Velcro as long as you can get away with it.
At 3 in the nursery class dd had to contend with a tie as they wear full school uniform even in the nursry class at dds school.

my son is ten and he still doesnt know how to do laces,hes just not good with his hands and is always in too much of a rush to be bothered with it........thank the lord for velcro

I think my 14-year old DS has velcro. 16YO has slip on.

Trainers and football boots are laces once they hit about 8 or 9.

My ds(12 in two weeks) is dyspraxic, his wonderful occupational therapist worked with him weekly from September 06 till June 07 and he has been tieing his laces for a year now! he was showing everyone for weeks after how he could do it!

ds is 11 and has fine motor skills probs - don't think he can tie laces yet (think because I haven't tried recently - must check it out) the OT has been working with him on things like this