Dr. John Mascazine
Parents are increasingly concerned about the placement of their multiple-birth children in school. Interestingly, many states (in the U.S.) have passed laws regarding school placement, and many other states are considering such laws. The laws are a formal way of enforcing sound professional policy. In other words, there would be no need for such laws if school administrators and education professionals would consider the needs of each set of twins or multiples and their educational needs before making a placement decision. This is typically the procedure for other students in unique circumstances, and is routinely done for students with individual social, behavioral, or disability issues. Why then, should it be much different for students who happen to have a same age brother or sister?
Each child unique?
Education professionals know that each child and each student is unique in his / her educational development and learning needs. We realize that one approach or one strategy will not adequately address the needs of everyone in our class. Therefore, the most effective teachers vary their teaching methods to meet the diverse needs of their students.
Anyone studying twins and multiples realizes this as well: each set of siblings is unique as a set. Therefore, one policy or placement strategy will not “fit” each set of siblings. Some siblings do very well to work and learn in the same room or within easy sight of each other. Some siblings benefit from time away from their sibling(s) as a way of discovering talents or making new friends. And for some, the placement arrangement will not matter. The point is:
It doesn’t make sense to have a policy that doesn’t address or consider the needs of all types of twins / multiples.
The only policy should be a flexible policy. A flexible policy realizes the need for different approaches and different placement arrangements. It also places importance on evidence (or data) to make decisions that are most likely to be in the best interest of the children. And finally, a flexible policy includes a review and revisit process in the case where a placement decision appears to be counter-productive to the development of the children.
Continue reading to find out what research shows and how to know whether or not to separate your twins in the classroom. Also great tips on how to work with your children’s school to ensure the best possible support for you children by reading the rest of the article on page 48 & 49 & 53 in the Spring 2013 issue of Multiplicity Magazine. Also find some useful resources to help along the way.
Dr. John Mascazine is a twin researcher at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio and has explored how twins and same-age siblings learn and interact in the school environment. He teaches education courses to pre-service teachers and experienced teachers seeking master’s degrees. He has been investigating twins and how they learn since 1995, completing his dissertation research on the unique learning styles and study strategies of fraternal and identical twins in 1998.
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