Transcript Classroom Placement for Multiples
Classroom Placement for Multiples Research and Recommendations
Prepared by Brenda Schwartz January 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.