If you have ever had a set of twins in your preschool classroom, you may have had to sort through some of the myths addressed by the experts in the most recent Bam Radio show I participated in: “Avoiding Mistakes in Teaching Twins.”
“Some educators have reported an increase in the number of twins in their classrooms. According to our guests, there are a few myths and some misguided ideas about teaching twins that need to be corrected. In this segment we discuss what every educator and parent needs to know about teaching twins” (Bam Radio Show)
Here are some of the highlights shared by our experts that you should think about if you happen to have a set of twins in your preschool classroom…
1. There is no evidence or research that says separating twins in preschool makes a difference in their learning achievement.
2. Twins may come as a pair but teachers need to treat twins as individuals and not as a set when teaching the children.
3. Parents of twins should be consulted with and have a say in whether their twins should stay together or be separated.
4. Teachers should avoid labeling the twins in order to tell them apart – “That one is the athletic one.”
5. Parents are the best resource for helping teachers understand the emotional needs of their twins.
6. Don’t assume that just because the twins look alike, that they will like doing the same things. Have a variety of choices available in your classroom and let the children select from those choices based on their own unique interests and personalities.
What are your thoughts or experiences with twins in the preschool classroom? If you are a parent of twins or if you have experience teaching twins, I would love to hear your perspective on this topic…
