HELPING MULTIPLES LEARN AS INDIVIDUALS

It’s easy to treat twins and triplets as the same person, just duplicated. Any parent of multiples will tell you that this is far from the case.

These children have physical differences, even in the case of genetically identical twins.

Their shoe sizes may be different, one may be taller than the other, and their personalities definitely would not be identical.

Multiples, just like singleton siblings, have different abilities and needs when it comes to learning. They need room to grow as individuals.

THEY BOTH NEED TO LEARN.

It is very common for multiples, particularly when they are two or three years old to work as a team when it comes to learning life skills.

If one child has learned to use the remote control for the television, then the other doesn’t have to. If one child learns to ask certain questions, then the other doesn’t have to.

You should encourage both children to learn skills as an individual, or it will hold them back in the future.

Particularly when they get to elementary school, they will have to really rely on their own knowledge.

LEARNING IN SMALL CHUNKS.

When you are a child, you learn better taking in information in smaller chunks.  For instance, if they have to learn a list of ten words for a spelling test, go through them two or three at a time.

Discuss with them the reason the letters are in a certain order. Spell the words out loud. Sound the words phonetically.

Write the words down. You should then have a practice test to check their understanding.

By learning with several different methods, you will cover all the bases – remember that your twins or triplets are unique and they may learn better in different ways.

DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

Multiples, and indeed any singleton siblings need one-on-one time with their parents.

It can be difficult sometimes to find the time to spend individual time with each child, but it is important to try and do so on a regular basis.

Use the opportunity of individual time with each your children to help teach them new skills, or things that they will need for school, adapting your methods or techniques based on how they learn.

Multiples need to be treated as individuals when it comes to learning. Encourage their own personal skills and talents, and they will thrive.

About the Author

Jane Sandwood is a freelance writer and editor. She has written for both digital and print across a wide variety of fields.

Her main interest is exploring how people can improve their health and well-being in their everyday life.

And when she isn’t writing, Jane can often be found with her nose in a good book, at the gym or just spending quality time with her family.