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Why problems may arise and who is at risk?

The PIPS material is much more fun for the children frequently engaging and retaining their attention far more than the old-style examination format used in the ACER study. So may the root of the problem for some multiples lie in inattention? This would also explain that when we test multiples in one-to-one situations where we can work to retain their attention, any differences between multiple and single-born children are much reduced. When we analysed the ACER data in detail, it became apparent the key issues for the twin boys were INATTENTION and IMPULSIVITY. For example, even at 14, the boys were more likely to make mistakes reading the time from a clockface or adding two digit numbers. These are not so much evidence of poor ability but of failing to concentrate or guessing and it is easy to see how this affects reading.

When a child sees the word "bat" but reads it as "bag", their first problem is in reading accuracy and distorted comprehension is only a secondary issue. Such an accuracy problem is more common in multiples and it may well happen that a child on seeing a word may guess at any word of roughly the right length or beginning with the same letter. Certainly this can happen also in singleborn children but both parents and teachers comment on how common it is in multiples.

Problems of Inattention and Impulsivity are key components of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the Section on Special Needs explains that this problem is more common in multiples, how it is associated with speech and reading problems and what can be done to help such multiples. There is also advice for teachers about assisting such children in the classroom. Of course it is important not to assume all multiples will have reading or attention problems and each child must be considered individually in terms of their strengths and difficulties.

Getting multiples ready for reading at school

Parents need to concentrate on three things:

(i) Ensuring their multiples have adequate language skills to cope with the demands that reading will later make on these.

(ii) Teaching the multiples to take turns, to work independently of their multiples and not to rush to be the first to do something. These will all help when it comes to developing reading accuracy. Concentration is also vital and unfortunately the others can be such an easy way of destroying this!

(iii) Emphasising what books are and that they are fun. It is a real task for the young child to work out what a book is, where to start, that the story goes from front to back and top to bottom of the page etc. If they see parents using and enjoying books, the task is halfway resolved. Of course, what parent with two or more active young children of the same age has time to read!

Multiples may mange well if the questions are organised suitably- that is, in ways which attract their attention. What does this mean?

Exams and tests

While class tests have always been part of schooling, the last few years have seen a resurgence of large-scale assessment of children in primary schools in many countries. The reasons for this range from the more political ones of comparing schools and their performance to the more thorough identification of children who may need learning support. Here we examine specific issues that may arise for multiples. Examinations such as A levels (UK) or tertiary entrance exams (Australia) are considered in the section on adolescent multiples.

Scholarships, bursaries and selective programs

An increasingly cause of anxiety and controversy concerns twins and higher multiples who are doing assessment for scholarship, bursaries or access to advanced programs in such areas a music or languages. What happens if one twin but not the other is successful? Increasingly parents do seem to be appealing-if one got in, then the other should as well. There is really no justification for this and you can imagine how the parents of unsuccessful singleborn children would complain if a child were allowed in, just because their twin had been successful.

Families and schools really need to think about the implications of one succeeding in this competitive environment, while the other(s) do not, BEFORE they even decide to apply.