Time spent at school is an important part of everyone’s life. For multiple-birth children, the presence of their co-multiple(s) may bring additional challenges, often starting with the question of whether it is better to keep them in the same class or to separate them. It is important to remember that there are other educational issues to consider such as the ability and progress of multiples relative to each other as well as to other children. Adolescence and secondary school bring additional challenges to the multiple-birth family as the young people become independent and develop separate interests and aspirations.
In 2009 we were very privileged to have David Hays share his research in this area with us at the Hutt Valley Multiples NZConference (previously NZMBA). It is with his blessing that we are able to share with you his website, which is by far the most comprehensive education-based website available worldwide for multiples. We are sure you will find this very helpful when it comes to answering questions in this area.
Along with the ability to access his research studies, you will also find coverage of the following multiple-specific issues within education such as common myths about separation, the ability to reverse decisions, the differences between home and school, the importance of communication, and the involvement of your children in the decision to keep them together or to separate them. He has also recognised that additional issues may also arise for boy/girl pairs, higher order multiples and when one child is delayed.
In 2012 school placement of multiples and issues regarding whether separation or not is best, was the focus of the International Multiple Birth Awareness Week. Through this campaign it was recognised that one of the challenges faced by parents of twins, triplets and more is to foster the unique development of each child while encouraging the unique bond between their children. This concern also applies to teachers with multiples in their classrooms; however the challenge within the school may be complicated by preconceived opinions of educators, the number of students in the school, and the number of twins, triplets or more involved.
We believe decisions about classroom placement of multiples should be made annually, on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the parents of the children concerned and the children themselves. Just as each child is unique, each set of multiples is unique. Some multiples thrive in separate classes; others in the same class. Similarly, what works for a given set of multiples one year might not work the next year. Therefore, the Multiples NZ and ICOMBO believe that blanket policies on this issue – either for separate or same-class placement – are inappropriate. Further supporting documentation derived for this campaign can be accessed here.
Getting Ready for School
Is that time approaching? Are you starting to worry about the academic skills your child has or has not acquired, and just how they are going to measure up? Have you stopped and thought about the fundamental movement skills your children have developed, and the importance of these skills to enable your children to acquire higher learning skills such as reading, writing and mathematics? Put those pencils down – a must-read article based of the work of Gill Connell!
This school or that school?
Do you have a choice of schools for your multiples? How do you decide which is the best option? Nicci Coffey talks about how she navigated her way through this decision.
Meeting the needs of Multiple Birth Children
There has been a significant increase in the number of twins and higher multiples so that one child in 33 is now a multiple. It is therefore not unusual for schools to have several sets of twins as well as triplets. By being the same age and in the same school year if not class, twins and higher multiples are not like brothers and sisters born closely together. Teachers and parents need to be aware of particular issues that may affect the physical, intellectual, personal, social and emotional development of multiple-birth children, and to ensure that school policy and practice include this special group of children and parents. These issues include: preterm birth catch-up, and implications for starting school; the balance of competition and cooperation among multiples; separation in school and the evidence from recent longitudinal studies; legislative and other initiatives on the development of school policy; the particular needs of higher multiples.
Multiples and secondary school
What is different about being a multiple at adolescence? How do you achieve independence from one’s co-multiple(s)? What are the effects of stereotyping in the family and at school? The selection of subjects and careers and maintaining your independence while doing the same things as your twin.
Wakati uliotumiwa shuleni ni sehemu muhimu ya maisha ya kila mtu. Kwa watoto wa kuzaliwa mara nyingi, uwepo wa co-multiple wao unaweza kuleta changamoto za ziada, mara nyingi kuanzia na swali la kama ni bora kuwaweka katika darasa moja au kuwaondoa. Ni muhimu kukumbuka kwamba kuna masuala mengine ya elimu ya kuzingatia kama vile uwezo na maendeleo ya mara kwa mara kuhusiana na kila mmoja na pia kwa watoto wengine. Kuanza ujana na shule ya sekondari huleta changamoto za ziada kwa familia ya kuzaliwa mara nyingi wakati vijana wanapojiweka huru na kuendeleza maslahi na matakwa tofauti. "Mwaka 2009 tulikuwa na heshima kubwa ya kuwa na David Hays kushiriki utafiti wake katika eneo hili na sisi katika Hutt Valley Multiples NZMMA (zamani NZMMA).""" Ni kwa baraka zake kwamba tunaweza kushiriki na wewe tovuti yake, ambayo ni mbali zaidi ya kina elimu-msingi tovuti inapatikana duniani kote kwa ajili ya multiples. Tuna hakika utapata hii kuwa na msaada sana linapokuja suala la kujibu maswali katika eneo hili. Pamoja na uwezo wa kupata masomo yake ya utafiti, utapata pia chanjo ya masuala yafuatayo ya elimu kama vile hadithi za kawaida kuhusu kutenganisha, uwezo wa kubadilisha maamuzi, tofauti kati ya nyumbani na shule, umuhimu wa mawasiliano, na ushiriki wa watoto wako katika uamuzi wa kuwaweka pamoja au kuwatenganisha. Pia, alibainisha kuwa kuna uwezekano wa kuwa na matatizo mengine ya kiume na ya kike, na pia ya kuwa na watoto wengi zaidi, na hata wakati mtoto mmoja anapochelewa. Katika mwaka wa 2012, kuanzishwa kwa shule za watoto wengi na masuala ya kama kutenganishwa au si ni bora, ilikuwa lengo la Wiki ya Kimataifa ya Uhamasishaji wa Kuzaliwa kwa Wengi. """Kupitia kampeni hii, ilitambuliwa kuwa moja ya changamoto zinazokabiliwa na wazazi wa mapacha, mapacha watatu na zaidi ni kukuza maendeleo ya kipekee ya kila mtoto wakati wa kuhamasisha uhusiano wa kipekee kati ya watoto wao." Hii inatumika pia kwa walimu na multiples katika madarasa yao; hata hivyo changamoto ndani ya shule inaweza kuwa ngumu na maoni preconceived ya walimu, idadi ya wanafunzi katika shule, na idadi ya mapacha, triplets au zaidi kushiriki. """Tunaamini maamuzi kuhusu kuwekwa darasani kwa watoto wengi yanapaswa kufanywa kila mwaka, kwa msingi wa kesi kwa kesi, kwa kushauriana na wazazi wa watoto wanaohusika na watoto wenyewe." Kama vile kila mtoto alivyo wa pekee, kila kikundi cha watoto ni cha pekee. Baadhi ya viumbe hao hufanikiwa katika madarasa tofauti-tofauti; wengine katika madarasa yaleyale. Vivyo hivyo, kile kinachofanya kazi kwa seti fulani ya mara nyingi mwaka mmoja kinaweza kutofanya kazi mwaka ujao. Kwa hiyo, Multiples NZ na ICOMBO wanaamini kwamba sera blanket juu ya suala hili <unk> ama kwa ajili ya kuwekwa tofauti au sawa-darasa <unk> ni yasiyofaa. Hati zaidi za kuunga mkono zinazotokana na kampeni hii zinaweza kupatikana hapa. Kujitayarisha kwa ajili ya Shule Je, Wakati huo Unakaribia? Je, una wasiwasi kuhusu ujuzi wa mwanao wa masomo na jinsi atakavyopatikana? Je, umewahi kufikiria juu ya ujuzi wa msingi wa harakati ambao watoto wako wamekua nao, na umuhimu wa ujuzi huu ili kuwawezesha watoto wako kupata ujuzi wa juu wa kujifunza kama vile kusoma, kuandika na hisabati? Weka chini penseli hizo <unk> makala lazima kusoma kulingana na kazi ya Gill Connell! Shule hii au ile? Je, unaweza kuchagua shule kwa ajili ya watoto wako wengi? Unaamuaje ni chaguo gani lililo bora zaidi? Nicci Coffey anazungumza juu ya jinsi alivyopitia uamuzi huu. Kwa mujibu wa ripoti ya Umoja wa Mataifa, idadi ya watoto wanaozaliwa wakiwa na watoto wawili au zaidi imeongezeka kwa kiasi kikubwa, na sasa mtoto mmoja kati ya watoto 33 ni mtoto wa pili. Kwa hiyo si jambo lisilo la kawaida kwa shule kuwa na seti kadhaa za mapacha na vilevile mapacha watatu. Kwa kuwa wana umri sawa na wana shule sawa, kama si darasa moja, mapacha na watoto wanaozidi umri mmoja si kama ndugu na dada waliozaliwa karibu sana. Walimu na wazazi wanapaswa kuwa na ufahamu wa masuala maalum ambayo yanaweza kuathiri maendeleo ya kimwili, kiakili, binafsi, kijamii na kihisia ya watoto wa kuzaliwa mara nyingi, na kuhakikisha kwamba sera na mazoezi ya shule ni pamoja na kundi hili maalum la watoto na wazazi. "Hizi ni pamoja na: ""kuchukua uzazi wa mapema, na athari kwa kuanza shule; usawa wa ushindani na ushirikiano kati ya multiples; kutenganishwa katika shule na ushahidi kutoka kwa masomo ya hivi karibuni ya longitudinal; mipango ya kisheria na mengine juu ya maendeleo ya sera ya shule; mahitaji maalum ya multiples ya juu.""" Kuwa na watoto wengi na shule ya sekondari Kuna tofauti gani kuwa na watoto wengi katika ujana? Jinsi gani unaweza kufikia uhuru kutoka moja ya co-multiple (s)? Ni nini kinachotokea kwa watu wa kawaida katika familia na shuleni? Chagua masomo na kazi na kudumisha uhuru wako wakati unafanya mambo sawa na pacha wako.