Multiples in School

Starting school is a huge milestone - for both parents and children! As with all things multiple, it can be especially stressful for families with two or more children taking this step at the same time. There is, of course, lots of information on the web - from anecdotal stories to academic research. To help navigate this maze, SAMBA has identified the following websites as being especially useful.

Top of the list has to be Two, Four, Six, Eight: Educating Twins, Triplets and More
This website is produced by well-known twin researchers David Hay and Pat Preedy. It "provides information, new knowledge and downloadable materials with regard to the educational needs of multiple birth children", and its breadth of material is fantastic. From Preschool to Secondary school, with lots of adjucnt topics too (eg Getting ready for school, Best practice and school policy), there is plenty of information for those looking for a research-oriented perspective. There are also many downloads available, including a "Checklist for parent/teacher discussion of twin separation" and a "Speech and Language Checklist".

How other parents of twins deal with school can be equally informative. For some anecodatal viewpoints, check out Twins in School: To Separate or Not to Separate, That is the Question, by Gail Jacobs. For a triplet mother's perspective, read the article Seperate Classes at the MOST (mothers of super-twins) website.

Finally, About.com's Parenting School-Aged Multiples has a plethora of school-related topics, including the perennial seperate/together classrooms issue, helping multiples with homework and back-to-school tips. Written by a twin mother in the U.S.

Have you found something of interest on the web that we haven't mentioned here? Share it by commenting below!