Multiples in the Classroom: On the Road to Learning : simplebooklet.com

Executive Function What s That By Kim Simonich What exactly is executive functioning and why is it important to develop in children Executive functioning is the mental process that enables one to plan focus attention remember instructions and juggle multiple tasks successfully The brain needs this skill set to filter out distractions prioritize tasks set and achieve goals and control impulses Children are not born with these skills but they are born with the potential to learn them The process of developing executive functions begins in infancy and continues into early adulthood There are many activities that can be done with children at different ages to boost their executive functioning skills Children from 6 to 18 months can play lap games like Peekaboo Pat a Cake or any others you may know These games exercise working memory and they also practice self control skills as they wait for the adult to reveal themselves These games are a great way to challenge working memory as the children need to locate the missing object They can copy or imitate adults caregivers do fingerplays or have conversations with others Simply talking to babies is a great way to build their attention working memory and self control Children from 18 to 36 months enjoy games that involve language Children during this stage of development are rapidly expanding their language and it plays an important role in developing executive function Language helps them to understand and follow rules that begin to get more complex and following multi step directions becomes critical to this development Games like Follow the Leader and song games such as The Hokey Pokey that involve movement are fun at this age This is a great age to introduce matching and sorting games that involve their planning skills Children from 3 to 5 years old benefit from imaginary play storytelling and gross motor movement games and quiet games Their executive function skills grow at a rapid pace during this age period Younger children still need lots of support while learning rules and conventions As the children become more independent try to gradually remove the adult supports Movement songs that involve long lists of things to remember help them with their working memory Children from 5 to 7 years old benefit from games that have rules that can be played at different skill levels Card games and board games are excellent ways to develop working memory Songs that repeat and then add on challenge the working memory Children at this age become more independent so puzzles and guessing games are favorites and they can develop attention to detail and flexibility Children from 7 to 12 years old need games and activities that increase in their complexity so they can continue to expand their executive functioning skills Organized sports become extremely popular for many children during this period Music singing and dance offers opportunities to develop attention self monitoring and working memory While some computer games provide practice they should be monitored Adolescents are still in need of developing their executive functioning skills as they are often expected to have skill levels of adults Goal setting along with planning and self monitoring of those goals is critical at this stage Teenagers need guidance in setting goals and developing the plans to attain the goals One technique that is helpful is self talk Some multitasking can be good for developing their executive functioning but too many distractions can be detrimental Activities that focus on continual improvement and challenges also are beneficial

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Parenting Tips for Attention De cit Hyperactivity Disorder By Kim Siminoch Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD require special parenting The children can lack impulse control or present with challenging behaviors It is important for parents of ADHD children to find ways to support their child ren Parents and others who interact with these children need to adapt the ways in which they interact with them Children do not have to be medicated since there are many ways to parent the ADHD child in other ways 1 Provide Structure Children with ADHD often do better when they have a set schedule and a set routine Using timers clocks or charts are useful for the children or what comes next 2 Encourage Exercise Exercising helps to lower anxiety and promotes focus and concentration Exercising improves sleep patterns and stimulates the brain This is helpful as many ADHD children have trouble sleeping and focusing and are often tired 3 Be Positive ADHD children are often told no or are spoken to in negative tones ADHD children often feel as if they are bad or that they cannot do anything the right way A better approach is to tell the child in positive terms what you want them to do or what the desired positive outcome should be fi 4 Break Tasks Down ADHD children can become overwhelmed with the magnitude of a request like clean your room or do your homework If you break these requests down into first put your dirty clothes in the laundry next make your bed next put the toys in the toybox and last put your

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clean clothes in your dresser it is not an insurmountable task to complete 5 Limit Distractions Create a place where these kids can calm down and retreat to become regulated This is not meant to be Time Out but instead a place where they can go when they are feeling overwhelmed or anxious It should be free from televisions video games and computers A place that has comfortable seating and quiet time activities 6 Pick Your Battles It is important to let some of the smaller things go and focus on the bigger things Let your kids pick out their own clothes and snacks As long as the food is nutritious and the clothes are clean and appropriate it does not matter if the clothes match or they eat the same thing all week long It is not always easy to let these things go but if you try to control every little thing every encounter will be a battle Parenting ADHD Children can be difficult but also rewarding Remember to be kind to yourself and find a support system for when the days are difficult It can seem like your ADHD child acts out all the time but all kids misbehave at times Enjoy your children as the days are long but the years are short originally published Summer 2021

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The Pros and Cons of Redshirting Your Kindergarteners By Sara Barr Around the time I registered my twin girls for kindergarten I heard about the nationwide trend of parents holding back their children from starting kindergarten to give them the advantage of increased age and maturity Since my twins birthday is late July I became especially interested in this issue The idea of redshirting originated in sports giving an additional year for athletes to become bigger and stronger and the term is now applied to academics where the trend is rapidly growing An article in The New Yorker reported that in 1968 four percent of kindergarten students in America were six years old by 1995 the number had grown to nine percent and in 2008 it had risen to seventeen percent On the surface redshirting makes sense following the assumption that a six year old brain is more capable than a five year old of handling a classroom setting Often this assumption is true and some kids need that extra year of development It s when the decision is made for competitive reasons trying to give a child an edge over other students regardless of readiness or maturity that it causes concern for educational leaders Some experts consider redshirting to be gaming the system since delaying entry is not an option for families who can t afford to pay for another year of daycare or preschool when the child can legitimately attend a free public kindergarten No doubt the trend to hold kids back is primarily exercised by affluent parents

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Reasons for Red Shirting The reasons parents state for redshirting vary from unpredictable holding back a boy in hopes he ll be taller than the girls advancing a girl so she isn t more physically developed than her classmates or concern a boy won t be able to go on dates if he can t drive as early as his classmates to extremely valid a child being emotionally academically or socially immature Donna Miller of GEMS SC Mothers of Older Twins has been an elementary school teacher for more than 30 years She is now retired and often substitutes in kindergarten The oldest kids in the class are more social better able to separate from Mom more focused and more interested in learning said Donna who sees a vast difference among the oldest and youngest children in the class I didn t see as much of a split among fifth graders but it makes a huge difference in kindergarten In addition to age gender often plays a role in maturity rates It could be wise to give boys especially another year to get ready Boys tend to take a little longer to get into the idea of school and sitting in a classroom Donna said Obviously this complicates the decision for parents of boy girl multiples The Complicating Factor of Multiples Deven Kane of the Northwest Suburban MI Mothers of Multiples has triplets two girls and a boy who will turn five in midAugust and immediately start kindergarten The people in their preschool all communicate that they are ready to move forward with reading mathematics physical and social skills Our children have participated in sports and none of them stood out as being less physically ready than the rest of the team Mostly we are trusting the opinion of the professionals Making the decision for two or in Deven s case three children at once isn t easy The biggest concern is if one falls behind can we really make a decision to hold the one back while allowing the others to move forward Since they were toddlers Deven realized they would be younger than their classmates so she took steps to boost their readiness Team sports help kids develop maturity learn cooperation follow directions and learn to take turns all of which is essential in kindergarten Deven believes that enrolling young kids in team and individual sports can have a much bigger impact in the long run than holding them back a year in school As an educator I had a difficult time making this decision Deven continued I have seen students who started school young and never filled in those gaps in learning I don t want to see my own

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children struggle At the same time parents know their children best and we know our children s capabilities Beth McGuire of Multiples of the Midlands SC has twin boys in kindergarten They turned six in late September so we missed the cut off And I was relieved In preschool they were some of the smaller boys in their class and both were very sensitive about it While there are taller boys this year in kindergarten they like that they are no longer the smallest Beth continues Parents need to look at their individual child s needs and maturity Kids are much more resilient than we often give them credit for being Children are little sponges I worried incessantly about going from the small nurturing Montessori environment to a large public school setting Now I laugh when I think about those worries because my boys are doing great A Year of Transition A great option for children with summer and fall birthdays are transitional kindergarten programs offered in some states These programs often called Young Fives feature a modified curriculum tailored to children who may not be ready for the challenges of regular kindergarten or who seem ready but don t meet the state s age requirement California and Michigan are two states currently offering this option and it is free in some areas and tuition based in others Kim Dahring of Northwest Suburban MI Mothers of Multiples has five year old fraternal twin girls They have a late August birthday and Kim enrolled them in Young Fives I didn t see any disadvantage other than cost The pros outweighed the cost exponentially My twins will have an additional year to build skills and perhaps avoid unnecessary struggles We believe they also may have more confidence and maturity One year can bring a lot of growth mentally and physically We have older daughters who were young in their classes and we firmly feel they would have benefited from an additional year before going to college Depending on a state s specific laws at the end of the transition year children may be recommended for traditional kindergarten or first grade depending on their readiness And public schools in some states like California offer summer programs to help kids prepare before kindergarten begins My twin daughters are thriving in a small private kindergarten that meets four days a week for less than five hours a day My husband and I felt strongly that one of our girls was not ready for a five day program with long hours Our twins will begin first grade in public school in the fall only two weeks after they turn six and others frequently question me about our decision While I have normal concerns that most mothers feel as their children start big kid school I believe they are ready for the challenge of first grade despite being younger than most of their classmates New Research Findings Children who were redshirted years ago are now old enough for researchers to measure the impact of their delayed start One study found that while earlier studies have argued that redshirted children do better both socially and academically more recent analyses suggest the opposite the youngest kids who barely make the age cutoff but are enrolled anyway ultimately end up on top At least three other studies have similar findings including a 2008 study at Harvard University whose researchers believe the younger students experienced positive effects from being in a relatively more mature environment in striving to catch up with their peers they ended up surpassing them For years Montessori and other independent schools have structured their classrooms around this premise younger students benefit from having older peers

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It s hard to deny that being bigger quicker and more mature is a good thing And many studies have supported that hypothesis showing higher scores better teacher evaluations and improved social skills for older students during the elementary years But those early advantages may disappear by high school and college where multiple studies show younger students outperform their older classmates and have higher graduation rates These researchers agree with those in the Harvard study if you are always bigger and smarter you may be more likely to get bored and think that learning should come easily If you re relatively younger you are constantly forced to reach for your limits This research indicates that teaching our children to deal with and overcome obstacles can have a longlasting effect that could serve them well throughout their lifetimes Kindergarten teacher Alyssa Metze is married to a twin son of Christina Metze of Multiples of the Midlands SC and Primetime and she points out there are dangers to making blanket statements that apply to all children as researchers often do The decision needs to be made on a case by case basis Parents must closely observe their children s behaviors and judge their readiness as best they can All children are different They walk talk learn and do everything else differently said Alyssa Connie Christie of the Capitol Area MI Mothers of Multiples is mother to 25 year old twin girls and younger singleton Connie s twins have an early October birthday and were older than many of their classmates She believes being older than their classmates helped them settle into a leadership style of behavior However she warns if children are way ahead of their peers they can become bored in school which isn t good Alyssa agrees it can be a delicate balance On one hand you want your children to be ready for school so that they can learn the most they possibly can she said But on the other hand you don t want to wait too long to put them in school Those of us in Generation X are often accused of sheltering our children Many of us have the best intentions as we try to pave the easiest path for our children However we need to question our motives if paving the easiest path is our sole reason for redshirting The issue of kindergarten readiness is not simple and making the decision for multiple children adds incredible complexity Like all issues related to parenting multiples there is no right or wrong answer we each need to make the best decision we can for our families and not look back Connie jokes about a height spike her twins had in 5th grade that made them basketball stars but the stardom ended quickly when their teammates grew really soon after Connie s advice Make the decision based on your children s ability to handle school and social situations not for your own desire for a star athlete or student We all have our places in life let your children have their place as well Regulations Differ by State and School In many states attendance in kindergarten is optional with compulsory attendance beginning in first grade If you are considering redshirting your child children be sure to check for restrictions in your state and school district Some public elementary schools or their principals have strict guidelines dictating a child s admission For example one South Carolina mother told me that her child was tested for kindergarten readiness and since the child passed the principal would not allow delayed entry for her child Some schools simply require a meeting with the principal for parents to explain their reasoning for wanting to delay their child s entry Other schools allow complete parental discretion but parents need to contact their school before they make a decision in case any paperwork or specific requirements need to be met

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Advice from a Kindergarten Teacher Kindergarten teacher Alyssa Metze offers advice to parents trying to make the decision about redshirting Pay close attention to your children s behavior and maturity level If they seem as though they can handle working with other children sitting in one place for at least 25 minutes following directions and are ready to learn more than just the basic alphabet and numbers then you definitely need to put your child in school no matter their age said Alyssa Alyssa explains that a child who may seem a little behind can actually benefit by starting school on time and accessing the free resources available through public schools If you ve been working with your children on learning the basics like the alphabet and numbers and they seem to be having difficulties consider putting them in school by the age of five so they can get help and interventions earlier rather than later Difficulties and developmental delays are best caught early No matter when you decide to enroll your children in kindergarten please prepare them for school Alyssa advises Teach them the alphabet colors numbers and to count Hold conversations with them The more you talk together the better vocabulary your child will have Read to them at least once a day but more would be great Like little sponges children learn the most within their first 3 4 years of life before they even enter school originally published 2014 For more information on placing children in school settings visit our website www multiplesofamerica org to access our School Placement Booklet This is our most requested publication It is a wealth of knowledge geared to help make the best decision on the very dynamic topic of educating multiples

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School Placement for Three or More By Jill Heink Many Higher Order Multiples HOM parents have contacted Multiples of America over the years about a situation probably most HOM parents face how to best place triplets quads etc in classrooms and how to get the school administration on board The Covid 19 pandemic brought huge changes in the 2019 2020 academic year as practically overnight students and teachers and parents had to move to the virtual learning environment This new academic year has presented continuing challenges with parents needing to consider even more issues in advocating for the best educational strategy for each of their children One of the chief concerns remains Will my multiples do better together in the same classroom or will they have more room to grow if they are in separate classrooms Multiples of America now offers the 2020 online edition of its resource booklet Placement of Multiple Birth Children in School A Guide for Parents and Educators This resource looks at the issues related to separating twins and HOMs in school settings and includes many conclusions from a variety of studies about educating multiple birth children The booklet lays out the facts and research findings in an organized professional way Many families have told Multiples of America that when they have shown this book to their children s principal teacher or administrators the educators were very impressed by the booklet s information and willing to hear the parents reasons for a specific placement for their multiples As most HOM parents can probably predict there is no one size fits all solution for the best classroom situation for your multiples Consider referring to Placement s 10 Reasons to Separate Multiples in School and 10 Reasons NOT to Separate Multiples in School Those two perspectives can help parents evaluate each of their children s academic strengths and skills as well as each child s social and emotional outlook But what if you run into resistance from your school s administration Here are some words of advice for any Gripe to Goal effort with your kids school presented by author and twin mother Pam Novotny at a Multiples of America convention workshop some years ago Parents of multiples need to first identify what they want for their children and need to complete the following sentences My gripe is My real concern is What I am really wishing for is Therefore my goal is

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In this case you want flexibility on classroom placement for your triplets quads or more Next you need to prepare for discussion about the goal with the school administration 1 Investigate school policy Is it in writing If a written policy exists find out if it is a teacher principal or district wide policy Call the school secretary to start the research process 2 Talk to the teachers the kids have had up to now about each child s classroom experience What were strengths areas that needed improving How did each child interact with other kids and with each other 3 Talk to your children What are their ideas about being together and being apart 4 Look for other information from professional researchers Again the Multiples of America booklet is a great guide 5 Schedule an appointment to meet with the school administrators teachers whoever is in on the decision Dress professionally even for a virtual meeting bring an outline of what you want to discuss have readily available any books or notes that support your position 6 During the meeting be pleasant and respectful Tell them what you want Stress that everyone at the meeting wants to make sure each child has the best most productive educational experience possible Present your concerns and suggestions present the information that backs up your view 7 If necessary slow down the negotiating process by asking follow up questions What does the administrator fear about keeping your kids together or separate What would it take to show the administrator that the kids are doing well in a situation What kind of flexibility can be built into the decision for instance letting the kids eat lunch together having a reading class together etc 8 If you reach an agreement that satisfies you get the decision in writing You can always write a letter thanking the administrator for meeting with you and recapping what action or changes will be taking place

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9 If you re not satisfied with the outcome you can give the issue some time and come back again if you feel your kids need a different classroom situation using the same steps above At a Triplet Connection convention some years ago a quad mother talked about her experiences with her kids school which were about as unsatisfactory as you could get There were issues about speech therapy and learning disabilities as well as classroom placement She finally told the administrator she was talking to a lawyer because she felt the school was blaming the children for being siblings and that got the administration s attention I don t know that the ultimatum approach is more effective but if you feel the administration is too heavy handed and not following the spirit of the educational district it s always an option We hope you will check out Placement in the Members Only section of the Multiples of America website multiplesofamerica org originally published Summer 2021

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Position Paper Multiples of America Regarding School Placement of Multiple Birth Children Prepared by Multiples of America aka National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs Inc Introduction In the United States the incidence of multiple births to the number of births was 32 6 per 1 000 For triplet and higher order multiple births the ratio was 93 per 100 000 births Ten quadruplet or higher multiple births were reported in 2018 123 536 multiple births were recorded in the United Stats in 2018 Twin birth rates declined among mothers aged 30 and over with the largest declines among older mothers aged 40 and over from 2014 2018 Statement of Purpose As a national non profit support organization for parents of twins and higher order multiples Multiples of America also known as the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs Inc NOMOTC is dedicated to supporting families of multiple birth children through education research and networking In partnering with local support groups health care providers researchers and educators Multiples of America NOMOTC endeavors to aid parents of multiples and to raise public awareness of the unique qualities of multiple birth families This paper offers a set of general guidelines meant to engage educators and school support staff to become better acquainted with the special academic social and psychological considerations affecting the education of multiple birth children Guidelines The general guidelines that follow are intended to be used at all levels of education and provide a broad framework within which educators may begin to dialogue on this topic Basic Principles Due to the ever increasing number of multiple births in the United States and due to the special academic social and psychological considerations involving multiple birth children educators and educational training institutions should consider the following 1 Schools should provide an atmosphere which respects the close nature of the multiples bond while at the same time encouraging individual abilities A basic knowledge of the psychology of multiple birth children especially as it differs between identical and fraternal is essential An awareness of the depth of bonding between identical siblings and some same sex fraternal will promote greater sensitivity to the needs of these children An understanding that each multiple birth child is unique even when the child is part of an identical set will prompt the school s staff to recognize and encourage each child s abilities Educators should learn to recognize each child in a set of multiples individually without resorting to extraordinary means such as requiring

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identical twins to wear name tags different color clothing or different hair styles The children should be called correctly by their own name and not simply referred to as the twins The classroom teachers should be able to recognize each child s particular academic strengths and weaknesses No overt comparisons should be made between siblings in a multiple set Instead academic growth should be evaluated around a common set of benchmarks or standards 2 Schools should maintain a flexible placement policy throughout the preschool and early elementary years Successful placement involves a collaborative decision which allows for ease of separation from the parent and the other multiple as well as for successful academic and social growth Placement decisions should not center on a one size fits all policy Decisions should not be made for the purpose of promoting the children s individuality or the teacher s convenience and ease in terms of name face recognition Consultation with parents will provide clearer insights into how to best serve the children s needs As children enter into the late elementary years their input can also provide information critical to decision making Decisions should be reviewed annually to see if they are accomplishing the desired goals In cases where a placement obviously creates a negative learning environment mid year changes should also be considered 3 When multiple birth children are enrolled in different classrooms at the same grade level there is a need for a consistent approach to instruction and classroom management Teachers at the same grade level are encouraged to coordinate their efforts when a set of multiples is split between their classrooms Preschool and primary aged multiples can experience disappointment confusion or other negative emotions about school experiences as a result of teacher directed activities in one classroom which may be lacking in another In these cases jealousy and anger may be directed toward the sibling who is perceived to have the better classroom However multiples who are separated in same grade classrooms can also become a catalyst for an added emphasis on team teaching and use of a guaranteed curriculum or curriculum mapping While this problem may lessen by the middle school years teachers and administrators still need to recognize the very real problems which placement in separate classrooms can cause for multiple birth children 4 Educators should move with extreme caution when considering retention acceleration or designation in any one of the areas of exceptionality of one or more children in a set of multiples Psychological and social considerations involving the nature of the multiples bond must receive equal weight with academic considerations The effects of school retention accelerations or designation in any area of exceptionality are much greater on a multiple birth child since they may alter the sibling relationship in a profound manner These effects can range from mild loss of self esteem and confusion over the status of the siblings in the multiple birth grouping to a deeper sense of loss of identity with the co multiple s and feelings of anger and rejection On the other hand there is a definite need to separate the multiple birth issue from the issue of what is best for the individual child As a result the question of retention acceleration or designation in an area of exceptionality of a multiple birth child is highly complicated and needs to be approached with full consideration of all the possible benefits and harm which may result from the decision Teachers need to be sensitive to the feelings and actions of all co multiples

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and alert to possible problems for all of the children If retention or acceleration is unavoidable counseling services should be made available to all of the affected multiples 5 Teachers at the primary middle and high school levels should value parental input regarding the nature of the multiples relationship Parents can be a valuable source of information and insight for teachers of multiples since parents can usually provide information into the dynamics at work within the multiples relationship at any given point in their development Classroom observations particularly if the multiples are in separate classrooms will not provide educators with the comprehensive knowledge needed to make informed decisions which may impact the children s social or psychological well being Teachers need to become aware of the level of dependency between the co multiples and respond in a manner that makes each child comfortable Adolescent multiples may be having difficulty with their relationship as each strives to establish an independent identity Identical and fraternal relationships will differ as will relationships between same sex and different sex fraternal 6 School districts should provide staff at all grade levels with professional development opportunities focused on the specialized concerns surrounding the education of multiple birth children Information and research regarding the education of multiple birth children is readily available through published and online resources Schools should assist certified and classified staff in increasing knowledge in this area Educators should seek out the latest research findings about the psychology and education of multiple birth children and incorporate these findings into their instructional methodologies Certified and classified staff should familiarize themselves with the research information and services available through multiple specific support organizations Parents of older multiples can be another source of support for this expanding knowledge specific to multiple birth children 7 At the university level schools of education should include research findings into the psychology of twins and higher order multiples in their curricula at both the undergraduate and graduate levels Attention should be paid to preparing teachers and administrators who are informed and sensitive to the needs of an increasing population of multiple birth children Conclusion The needs of an increasing population of multiple birth children should be considered at all levels of educational instruction School policies decisions and instruction which are based on a sound understanding of the psychology and social development of multiples will enable these children to move through the school years more happily and successfully Any assumption that twins and higher order multiples have the same needs as singleton children can be damaging and counterproductive to the purpose of the educational institution Appropriate research and literature exist which can provide a

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basis for a sensitive knowledge based approach to the education of multiple birth children Parents and experts in the field should be considered valued resources for assisting school administrators and faculties with decisions affecting multiples GLOSSARY co twin or co multiple one child of a multiple birth set fraternal dizygotic or two egg twins resulting from the separate fertilization of two ova fraternal siblings have their own unique genes and may be same sex or different sex higher order multiples a multiple birth set consisting of three or more children triplets quadruplets quintuplets etc identical monozygotic or one egg twins who share all their genes in common they are always the same sex have identical features eye and hair color mirror image twins monozygoticAwins withidentical features displayed on opposite sides of the body left handed identicals are often mirror image co twins multiple birth children a group of two twins or more higher order children who typically are conceived at the same time of the same parents are born at the same time and share a certain biological and genetic make up singleton a child who is not part of a multiple birth set

Multiples in the Classroom: On the Road to Learning

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