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Twins Don't Need To Be Separated At School, Study Shows
Filed under: In The News, Research Reveals: Big Kids
Twins might do just as well in the same classroom. Credit: Corbis
In a study that appeared in the January 2010 Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Amsterdam researchers looked at 2,003 pairs of identical and fraternal twins. Most of the children (72 percent) were in the same class as their sibling; 19 percent were separated; and another 9 percent "partly" shared a classroom. At age 12, the students took a standardized test, and there was no significant difference in test scores between the three groups.
The researchers say parents, teachers and the children themselves should make the decision about whether or not to separate.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 2)
2-10-2010 @ 12:07PM
PinkThenRed said...Duh, you separate them so they can each make their mark in the classroom without being lumped together all of the time.
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2-11-2010 @ 3:23AM
M said...I was separated from my twin in school, it was stupid. Often times one of us was put in a remedial class in order to be separated in a small school. My sister would tell me how her remedial class learned to "jump', ie lift both feet off the ground. Plus, our assignments would be different. I totally advise against separation.
2-18-2010 @ 11:20PM
Sierra and sariya said...No, actually they don't need to be separated. If twins are going to develop two different identities leave it up to nature. If you see a problem with them being in the same classroom, yes. Otherwise, let them develop their bond with each other more in depth. Twins need that companionship in their lives. It is often times a comfortable thing for twins to be together most of the time. It is obviously different with different twins, but it ultimately shouldn't be the sole decision of the school or the parents alone whether or not to separate. Leave that decision to the twins.
3-24-2010 @ 8:52PM
Wendy said...What reasonable teacher lumps ANY child? This is a myth. My twins make their own marks wherever they go. They do not need to be separated to do that.
4-16-2010 @ 8:55PM
Cindy said...You speak rather quickly.....are you the parent of identical triplets?
I am.
Our children go to a school where there are only 9 in their class....yes, they are one third of it. They also THRIVE in this climate!
Because they are all together, everyone has observed them more closely to be able to tell them apart by personalities...something that otherwise might not happen. Also, the teacher treats them as 3 separate individuals completely. They bring home identical paperwork and homework, which they each do in their own way, at their own pace. They also thrive because they are so close and their is no separation anxiety. They are very well adjusted, each having their own separate friends, as well as common friends, individual playdates and also happen to be very smart. We thought long and hard before making the decision to have them together in this school and we are very happy with that decision....so are they.
2-12-2010 @ 11:16AM
Amanda said...We chose to have our twins in the same class for kindergarten and then seperated them for first grade, despite the school having a seperatation policy. It was perfect for our girls. Don't let a school bully you into making a decision
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2-14-2010 @ 7:47AM
anna said...As a mom of identical twins that will be going into kindergarten in september i am torn about what to do. They are currently in preschool together in the same class and if one of my twins is sick the other one will not go, she gets to upset. I am not sure what to do about this in september. Any advice?
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3-20-2010 @ 9:01AM
SandyMomof4 said...I have four children. A 20 year old, 14 year old and 5 year old boy/girl twins. My twins never went to preschool and for kindergarten I insisted that they not be sperated. My reasoning was that they were having to adjust to enough already and this would add to the stress. Fortunately our school system deals well with parents and twins. For first grade I will discuss and get the opinion of their kindergarten teacher about whether to seperate or not for the first grade. As for the problem with if one gets ill and the other wants to stay home I also had that problem; however I chose to send the one that wasn't sick for a couple reasons. One is that it's not okay to "just stay home" and the other was because I think they need to start to experience individuality. The bottom line is that you as the parent knows best. Look in your heart and mind and you'll have an answer as to what is best for your children. GOOD LUCK!!
6-17-2010 @ 7:38AM
Susan said...I am a twin and a school teacher. It sounds like they want to be together. I would let them stay together. We were rarely seperated and we loved it. When we went to girl scout camp, they always seperated us, and we hated it. It ruined camp for us, and we never went back. (to that camp, anyway.) My twin and I went through periods of wanting to be together and then needing identity. They can still find their own identity and be in the same classroom together. Read the comment above about the Mom of the triplets in a small classroom! She says it so true, the teacher and the parents etc...need to be able to tell them apart and sponsor their identities by making an effort to recognize them as different people. We always knew who the genuine people were in the world: they were the people who took the time to tell who was who.
8-15-2010 @ 5:18AM
alexandra said...Me and my twin were ALWAYS sick at the same time, and genuinely. I think it was partly because we were always together, and it was inevitable. Most of the time we werent even faking it. But also, We were in tune with each other and you just dont feel right when your twin doesnt. My mom always kept us both home, and everything went fine. I used to cry when I thought something was wrong with her, and if my mom had made me go to school i would have freaked out. You really shouldnt worry about it, and just realize that the bond is REALLY strong. Im glad my mom encouraged us to be together as much as possible. I was in the same class with my twin until about middle school, when schedule start to differ. It was a slow and easy transition, and eventually your twins will start to mark out their own paths and seperate on their own.
2-14-2010 @ 6:24PM
Lillian j Kemp said...I have a identical twin sister they separated us in school, but we didnt want to be i think we would have done better if we were to gether. we are 55 and still dress alike and dont want to be separated. We will go against my mother about being separated, she is my best friend. I think it should be their choice.We will fight for each other. even her husband knows that i will go after him about her. lolololo he loves us and dont try to come between us.Right now she is coming through breast cancer BUT SHE IS OK we cry together and laugh together< I LOVE HER>
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2-16-2010 @ 1:20AM
Heathie said...My boys are a couple years off from going to school; their birthday is in October so they'll be almost 6 by the time they get to kindergarten. Still, I've been thinking about separating them so they can learn to branch out on their own and make their own friends, and become more self reliant. I'm not worried about their grades; we can work on those at home if necessary. I'm more concerned with social skills and independence.
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2-17-2010 @ 12:55PM
HCB said...My twin girls are freshmen at the same college now (how fast the time goes!). I seperated them beginning in 1st grade. It was right for them. They learned new things from each other as their teachers had different teaching styles and they were usually not learning the exact same thing in each subject. This continued thru high school. They had plenty of time to be together during the day at lunch and recess and basically had (and still have) the same group of friends. They got part time jobs at different places which opened them each up to new faces. At college, they are in different dorm buildings and have welcomed their roommates into their group of friends. They are as close as twins can be, spend lots of time together at school and when they come home, they can spend hours just hanging out with each other and talking non stop as if they were apart for months.
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2-23-2010 @ 9:39AM
L said...We have four year old twin boys... They have started pre-school together and we feel certain we will battle with any school that may try to change that...
I envy the bond my boys share. School only serves as a place to nurture their friendship, joy and love of life. My husband and I consume the excitment of their day together at pick up time!!
They also monitor each others behavior! This is just a bonus. If you have twins you know every little bit helps!
Just my thoughts at the end of the day you know your children best...
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2-28-2010 @ 9:08AM
momof5 said...I have 6 year old twin girls, and since they were my first born children i am having an awkward first time experience with school policiles. Their school is pretty strict with the "separation rule" after kindergarten, I truley feel like the decision should be what the teacher reconmends for your kids. If you think that the teacher can see things from a clear perspective and knows what your childs social and intellectual capabilities are, then the teacher should be allowed to give her reconmendation. I had to fight to keep my girls together for 1st grade, but don't know what will happen in september. I will say that on a personnal note, it is much easier for ME to only have one set of parent-teacher meetings, and the same homework and projects, and the same trips at the same time. I do have another child a year younger and in school full time, and 2 little boys at home, so for me, it is alot about ease, but I trust their teachers, and I ask alot o questions and receive alot of feedback....so I AM prepared to have them separated, because I am confident that they could handle it, I just dont know if I could!
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3-24-2010 @ 8:45PM
Wendy said...I have 7-year-old boy/girl twins. I had to fight the school to put them in the same class. You would never know they were related at all, let alone twins. I was absolutely livid with our public school principal that assigned behaviors to my children based solely on their birth order. She proclaimed that all twins needed to be separated, because all twins depended on each other. Absolutely NOT true. Of course, as only their mother, I could not convince her that her myth was incorrect, so she called their preschool teacher who confirmed that the two hardly even interacted with each other.
For small kids, I really recommend that they share a classroom. It's very hard at events like mother's day and various other classroom events, parties, and their birthday (cupcake delivery) if you have to keep excusing yourself to go to the other classroom. Separate them when they start to show their academic strengths if need be. Just don't be talked into perpetuating a myth. If you insert any other descriptive in my principal's edict, it would be considered racist.
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3-27-2010 @ 5:26PM
JMM said...I teach preschool, and ask parents of twins if they want to separate their children. Sometimes one twin has a much stronger personality and dominates the other to the point that he/she never gets to make decisions about where to play and I will recommend separation, but ultimately it is the parents' choice. We also try to schedule parent-teacher conferences and school activities in such a way that parents can come once but not have to be in two places at once. (We'll have the class party during the first part of the day in one room and the latter part of the day in the other room.)
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4-05-2010 @ 5:45PM
amberly28 said...I have 5 year old triplets. Two boys and a girl. They have been in preschool together with no problems! They will start Kindergarten in September and the school has discussed separating them. But I do not want to. They are all individuals, but they will ALWAYS BE TRIPLETS! They will always be lumped together, thought of together, and just TOGETHER!! So, so what if they ever did just want to be with each other.
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4-16-2010 @ 10:56PM
Cindy said...Please see my reply to "PinkThenRed" from 2-10-10....my name is Cindy.....the mom of the 6 year old identical triplet boys. They are amazing apart....but even more so together! They each have their own talents that they shine at :) Hope that this helps you!
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4-25-2010 @ 7:50PM
Anne said...I have twin 6 year old boys in 1st grade as well a 9 yr old 3rd grader. Our boys were in daycare and pre-school together - when we got close to sending the twins to kindergarten one of them became more clingy and timid. After talking with his preschool teacher we decided it was best to keep them together for kindergarten since it was a new environment (location/teachers). At the end of their kindergarten year I called the principal to get her advice on how they were progressing. She recommended separating since they seemed to play with a lot of other children. She had a great idea how to make the transition go smoothly...she selected two specific teachers who were use to multiples and then had me provide 3 names for each boy and she had at least 2 of them in each of their class ffor 1st grade so they would have a friend in their class. Thus far 1st grade separated has gone wonderfully, especially for the timid twin - he has really blossomed and progressed academically. I believe it should be a decision left to the parent with advice from their teachers not some old standards - in our case we felt it was best to separate.
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