Classroom Placement for Multiples Research and Recommendations Prepared by Brenda Schwartz January 30 2007 Research • Twins in S

							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.
Classroom Placement for Multiples