TWIN RESOURCES: Journal Articles & Books REVISED: 11 June 2021
The following is a summary of some of the important studies and books on twins, school separation, and school behavior and academic performance. This is intended to be an introduction to some of the background studies that should be reviewed in consideration of making professional decisions.
Bader, Marissa. “Should Twins be Separated in School? “ Lucie’s List Website, Edamommy Publishing, Inc., April 2020. https://www.lucieslist.com/should-twins-be-separated-in-school/#gref
- Advocates for the professional, evidence – based approach considering the needs of each set of twins.
- Excellent article on benefits and limitations of keeping twins in the same classroom.
- Includes some first hand accounts of the decision from parents’ perspectives.
Grime, J. (2008). The Educational Effect of Forced Separation on Twins. (Electronic Thesis or Dissertation). Retrieved from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/
A dissertation that articulates the need for a profession and informed approach regarding placement of twins in school, especially for ages 6 – 9 years. Grime states, “Current research studies have concluded that separating twins in school before they are ready can lead to internalizing issues and behavior problems. Despite the current research, there are schools in the United States that practice an arbitrary policy of separating twins into separate classrooms against their wishes” (ii). He concludes that in the area of education, we need to advocate for ways of promoting individuality of multiples without making such separation a requirement. His study of 3 sets of twins, indicated that separation did adversely affect the social and emotional development in the school setting.
Hay, D. and Visscher, P. M. “Does Sharing the Same Class in School Improve Cognitive Abilities of Twins?” Twin Research and Human Genetics, vol. 10, no. 4, 2007, pp. 573-580.
The article analyzed the effect of classroom separation of twins on their cognitive abilities, measured at different ages in Dutch primary education. A large longitudinal school-based sample of twins and their classmates was employed. The analysis reduced bias by unobserved factors due to the nonrandom assignment by controlling for various factors. The study concluded that classroom separation matters for language in Grade 2. Non-separated twins scored higher on language, and such differences were larger for same-sex pairs. In addition, there was some evidence for higher scores in arithmetic in Grade 2 for non – separated twins. For higher grades, this study found no effect of classroom separation on cognitive ability. In the analysis of the effect of a separation of at least 3 years, the study found that separation increased language performance between Grade 6 and 8 for opposite-sex twins.
Lamia, Mary C. Ph.D. “Twins: In Defense of Togetherness: On the mandatory separation of twins.” Psychology Today, 26 May 2014. Web. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/201403/twins-in-defense-togetherness
Makes the case for a more professional and evidence – based approach to separating twin siblings in school. Lamia also highlights and explains the strength of the twin social – emotional bond and the importance of respecting that bond in light of all placement decisions. Furthermore, parents should have a choice in the matters of separation and base that choice on the individual and collective needs of their children.
Lucy A Tully 1 , Terrie E Moffitt, Avshalom Caspi, Alan Taylor, Helena Kiernan, Penny Andreou.
“What Effect Does Classroom Separation Have on Twins’ behavior, Progress at School, and Reading Abilities?” Twin Research, vol. 7, no. 2, 2003, pp. 115-124.
Research article that clearly states that early school separation, according to this study, did lead to more internalizing problems in the separated group as compared to the non – separated group of young children. This was a well – controlled and carefully designed study. Participants were age 5 – 7 years.
Marieke van Leeuwen, Stéphanie M. van den Berg, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, and Dorret I. Boomsma. Effects of Twin Separation in Primary School. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- In general, this study conducted in the Netherlands, showed that for early age twins, those in separated classes often demonstrated more externalized (and internalized) behavior issues as reported by teachers.
Nilsson, Johanna, Lynn Leonard, Danah Barazanji, and Rachel Simeone. “Placement of Twins and Multiples in the Classroom: A Brief Survey of School Counselors’ Knowledge and Attitudes.” Web.
A study investigating school counselor’s perception of classroom placement of twins / multiples. The study included 65 school counselors. Although most participating counselors had twins in their schools, most (70%) reported receiving no training on dealing with issues affecting twin siblings in the school setting. And although many didn’t know the research or the policy regarding separation in their respective schools, many still supported the separation of twins in the early school years of preschool / kindergarten.
Van Leeuwen, Marieke, Stephanie M. van den Berg, Toos C.E.M. van Beijsterveldt, and Dorret I. Boomsma. “Effects of Twin Separation in Primary School.” Twin Research and Human Genetics, vol. 8, no. 4, 2005, pp. 384-391.
Studied the short and long – term effects of separation of twins on behavior issues and academic performance. Results indicated that separated twins had more internalizing and externalizing problems than non – separated twins. Long – term effects appeared to be significant for the separated siblings as reported by both mothers and teacher assessments. Separation, in this study, did not affect academic achievement. The authors concluded in the long run separation does not appear to affect long term behavior or academic achievement.
BOOKS: (Alphabetical by Title)
Are Multiple Birth Children Different from Singletons: Meeting the Educational Needs of Multiple Birth Children on School Entry, by Pat Preedy, Ph.D. The number of multiple birth children has dramatically increased, so that in the UK, one child in 35 is now a multiple. This research is from an educational perspective, with the primary purpose of supporting the parents of multiples and the children themselves, particularly when they start school. The research methods include the first national survey of schools in England, interviews with parents and identification of the multiple birth sample in the Performance Indicators In Primary Schools (PIPS) value added tests devised by Professor Peter Tymms and the CEM team (University of Durham). The research led to the development of a theoretical model based upon the personal, social and emotional development of multiple birth families. The model and the research findings have been used by Twins Trust to produce literature for parents of multiple birth children.
Emotionally Healthy Twins: A New Philosophy for Parenting Two Unique Children by Joan A. Friedman, Ph.D. This book offers practical advice and strategies to help children (twin and multiple siblings) achieve emotional well-being and adjust to the demands that non-twins often impress upon them unknowingly. Advocates for a flexible and individualized approach to placement.
Entwined Lives: Twins and What They Tell Us About Human Behavior by Nancy L Segal, Ph.D. Perhaps the best known and most prolifically published psychologist on the topic of twins in the United States who is a twin herself and extremely knowledgeable. Dr. Segal has been a strong advocate and promoter of an open and flexible policy on the placement of twin siblings in school.
Not All Twins are Alike: Psychological Profiles of Twinship by Barbara Schave Klein. Summarily defines some of the behavior, personality, psychological, and cognitive differences among twins leading to the conclusion that each set is unique and to be considered on the merits of their own profiles and situations. Advocates a more flexible understanding and policy regarding placement and school or counseling considerations.
The Psychology of Twinship by Ricardo Ainslie. Another treasure trove of research advocating the individualized approach of placement of twin siblings in school and of increasing the knowledge of twins and sibling differences, families, and backgrounds.
Twin and Triplet Psychology: A Professional Guide to Working with Multiples edited by Audrey C. Sandbank. Includes multiple chapters directly addressing the school placement issue, as well as, other school and counseling issues for teachers, administrators, counselors, etc. The chapters definitively advocate for a flexible policy and one that makes such placement decisions based on psychological and behavioral observations (data). The book includes forms developed by Dr. Preedy to help with such decisions.
Twins and Supertwins: A Handbook for Early Childhood Professionals by Eve-Marie Arce, Ed.D. Soundly advocates for an open and flexible policy for placement and the issues affecting twin and multiple birth siblings. Great professional advice and promotion of a professional and well – reasoned approach.
Understanding Multiple Birth Children and How They Learn: A Handbook for Parents, Teachers and Administrators, by John R. Mascazine, Ph.D. This book offers advice for parents and teachers to help them make wise academic decisions. It addresses issues that many parents and teachers encounter. Topics covered include: preparing multiples for school, classroom placement decisions, individual identity and recognition, competition and cooperation issues, and the learning styles of multiples. This book contains many surveys for use with same-age siblings. Parents and teachers may use these surveys as they make academic decisions. Dr. Mascazine draws upon his classroom teaching experiences to share practical ideas.
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