Classroom Placement for Multiples

Research and Recommendations

Prepared by Brenda SchwartzJanuary 30, 2007

Research• Twins in School: What Teachers Should Know

ERIC Digest ED424033• Published October 1998• Lilian G. Katz

• Twins in the Classroom: School Policy Issues and Recommendations Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation

• Published 1992• Nancy L. Segal, Ph.D. & Jean M. Russell

• What Effect Does Classroom Separation Have on Twin’s Behavior, Progress at School, and Reading Abilities? Twin research

• Published December 2003• Lucy A. Tully et al.

Research & Articles

• Seeing Double American School Board Journal

• Published March 2001

• The Trouble with Twins National Association Elementary School Principals

• Published January 2004.

• Same or Separate Classrooms: A Twin Bill Twins Research and Human Genetics

• Published June 2006

• The School Years Curtin University of Technology

• December 21, 2005 www.twinsandmultiples.org

Research & Articles

• Classroom Placement of Twins Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting

• Last Updated June 2004• http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/twins.html

• Breaking the Barriers: The Secret to Controlling Your Twins’ School Placement TWINS Magazine

• July/August 2006• Dr. Rachel Franklin

• Separate Classrooms or Together Special Report on Separation

• TWINS Magazine• Published 2002

Research Findings

• The available research recommends that schools maintain a flexible placement policy of multiple birth children.

• Decisions should be made on a case by case basis and reviewed each year.

• Placement should be a joint effort between the family and educators.

• Forced separation can lead to unintended consequences: academic, emotional, social, and behavioral

issues, that were not present prior to forced separation

Research Findings

• National Association of School Psychologists “urges schools to maintain a flexible perspective and to consult with parents to determine when and if separation is desirable or unfavorable.”

• ERIC Digest, ED427835, asserts “that mandatory separation of multiple birth children is ineffective and can be detrimental to the educational and emotional growth of these children”.

When Separation is Recommended

• There are circumstances where separation of multiples is recommended.

• Multiples are combining to be disruptive to the classroom.

• One or both children unable to relate with other children.

• The children are at markedly different academic levels.

• One child dominated by other to the extent that they always check with the dominate child before acting.

Guidelines

• The National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs provides the following general guidelines.

• Schools should provide an atmosphere that respects the close nature of the multiple bond while encouraging individual abilities.

• Schools should maintain a flexible placement policy throughout the early elementary school years.

• When multiple-birth children are enrolled in different classrooms at the same grade level, there should be a consistent approach to instruction and classroom management.

• Principals should move with extreme caution when considering detention, acceleration, or alternative placement of one or more multiple-birth children.

Classroom Placement for Multiples