Many thanks to those of you who have emailed responsive comments about TeachingTwins.com and the study, A Descriptive Study of Academic and Practitioner Perceptions Identifying Program Practices Meeting the Unique Needs of Twins in Center-Based Preschools. Your support and encouragement are always appreciated.
The abstract below provides a “mini” glimpse of the findings for those who requested a condensed version. Skip down to the findings and conclusions after clicking on READ MORE. Remember, you have access to the entire dissertation. Go to the HOME page, review sections online, and print only those pages that interest you. Chapter 1 and Chapter 5 will be most helpful to preschool teachers who inquired about application of findings.
I will post my workshop presentation, including additional clarifying comments about program practices, on this website after the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Conference to be held in Dallas November 5-8.
Acknowledging Your Interest,
Eve-Marie
Abstract of the Dissertation
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the unique needs of twins enrolled in center-based preschools and the program practices that the experts and practitioners perceived to be important to address those needs.
Methodology: Four experts on twins contributed to the formation of the unique needs and program practices. They identified a sample population of twenty-three academics. The practitioner population was identified from the preschools accredited as of October 2007 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children under their revised system. Fifty-four program administrators named two teachers to complete an online survey. Quantitative data were collected using a five-point Likert-scale to determine the degree to which participants perceived the program practices would meet the unique needs of twins enrolled in center-based preschools. Eighteen academics and eighty-three practitioners completed the survey. An analysis of the survey results was conducted.Findings: There are needs unique to twins enrolled in center-based preschools. Some of the needs are applicable to every preschool child. Specializing the list for twins highlights the distinctive elements of twinship and preschool enrollment. Experts, academics, and practitioners confirmed the importance of the program practices that would best address the unique needs of preschool twins. Although there were some commonalities in the perceptions of the academics and the practitioners, generally the academics ranked practices to be more important than the practitioners. This was evident with the practices relating to policies, flexibility, and sensitivity to parents.
Conclusions: The findings from this study suggest the following: twins merit early childhood programs that acknowledge their unique needs; teachers of young children require explicit information to meet the unique needs of twins attending center-based preschools; program practices identified to best meet the needs of twins present a foundation for early childhood policy development; and teacher preparation and continuing education intentionally integrated with twin-specific information are essential.
Recommendations: Further research is advised with special focus on preschool twins and their experiences in early childhood programs. Additional studies could include different types of preschools such as Head Start and Montessori; survey and interview parents of preschool twins; and collect qualitative data about preschool teachers working with twins.
