Data analysis of 134 twin pairs from the Colorado Reading Project found that approximately 40 percent of the deficit observed in disabled readers is because of genetic factors, 35 percent because of environmental influences shared by twin pairs, and 25 percent because of environmental factors unique to the individual and/or error variance.…

Parents of multiple birth children frequently wonder whether it is best for their children to be separated or placed together in school. This guide from the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs (NOMTC) asserts that research and expert opinion demonstrate that mandatory separation of multiple birth children is ineffective and can be…

Parents of multiple birth children frequently encounter school policies requiring separation of their children in school, regardless of the circumstances, thereby eliminating parents and their children from the decision-making process. This guide from the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs (NOMTC) asserts that research and expert…

This study reports the very different reactions and choices of legally blind twin sisters who were provided services through the Mississippi Vocational Rehabilitation for the Blind agency. Emphasis is on the importance of individual differences and variables, such as personality, over which the rehabilitation agency has no control. (DB)

A research study of identical twins, by Thomas J. Bouchard Jr., discloses that genetics exert a stronger influence over personality than we thought. Parents and teachers are advised to be active and alert observers of children's interests and talents to provide appropriate tools and resources to develop these propensities. (MLF)

Language abilities in two twin pairs, in which one twin suffered perinatal left hemisphere brain injury, were studied from the age of 23-30 months to 41-46 months. Twins performed similarly on tests of mental development, picture vocabulary, and receptive language, but brain-injured twins' scores were lower than controls' on expressive language.…

Children who used chloride-deficient soy-based infant formulas (Neo-Mull-Soy and Cho-Free) have been found to exhibit expressive language disorders. Medical studies of such children are reviewed, and a case study compares the language development deficits of an eight-year-old boy who used the formula with that of his fraternal twin who did not.…

Following a literature review on speech and language development of twins, case studies are presented of six sets of identical twins screened for entrance into kindergarten. Five sets of the twins and one boy from the sixth set failed to pass the screening test, particularly the speech and language section, and were referred for therapy to correct…

This study analyzed storybook reading sessions involving a mother and her three-year-old twin daughters, one of whom was deaf. The mother asked the hearing twin almost twice as many questions as she asked of the deaf twin, and asked the hearing twin primarily conventional test questions, but she asked the deaf twin more gestural questions.…

A comparison is presented of a mother's language to her Down Syndrome two-year-old and his normally developing twin. When interacting with the Down Syndrome twin, the mother used shorter mean length of utterance, greater type-token ratio, more confirmations, more verbal directives, fewer yes-no and true questions, and more directive questions.…

Reports on the findings of several studies into the genetic similarities of twins. Focuses on the relationships between personality and behavioral genetics and argues that genetic similarity seems to be a better predictor than environmental factors. Discusses psychopathology, cognitive abilities, and personality. (TW)

These three users' manuals are for specific files of the High School and Beyond Study, a national longitudinal study of high school sophomores and seniors in 1980. The three files are computerized databases that are available on magnetic tape. As one component of base year data collection, information identifying twins, triplets, and some non-twin…

The incidence of multiple births has increased dramatically in the past two decades. Given this trend, it seems reasonable to assume that many teachers will have twins and other multiple siblings in their classes at some point in their classroom careers. This Digest offers some pointers for educators facing the challenges of educating multiples.…

This book, for children aged 7 and up, is designed to teach younger children about human biology and healthy sexuality, allowing parents and teachers to answer children's questions. Comic book style, full-color artwork illustrates the age-appropriate text and reflects an elementary school child's interest in biology and how things work. The book…