Getting your child to tie their shoelaces isn't always an easy task. Like many milestones, there are no hard and set rules as to when a child will suddenly master this task. While there isn't a magic number as to when kids should reach the shoe-tying milestone, most children master tying their shoes by first grade, while others may accomplish the task with confidence in second or third grade.
Learning to tie shoes is an important accomplishment that can be difficult for some children. While adults think nothing of double-knotting shoes before heading out the door, the simple action is rather involved. Shoe tying encompasses visual perception skills, hand-eye coordination, and defined fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are the small muscles in the hands and fingers. Shoe tying relies on those fingers to make and pull those bunny ears tightly so shoes don't quickly become untied.