Seeing double times three in primary one at Greenisland Primary

Starting school is a big milestone in any child's life but having a friend could make the transition a little easier.
Twins Eve and Toby McDonald, Beth and Erin McGreevy and Yuto and Hayato Matsushita were among the new arrivals at Greenisland Primary School.Twins Eve and Toby McDonald, Beth and Erin McGreevy and Yuto and Hayato Matsushita were among the new arrivals at Greenisland Primary School.
Twins Eve and Toby McDonald, Beth and Erin McGreevy and Yuto and Hayato Matsushita were among the new arrivals at Greenisland Primary School.

Three sets of twins have taken their first steps on their school journey in primary one at Greenisland Primary.

Eve and Toby McDonald, Beth and Erin McGreevy and Yuto and Hayato Matsushita joined the school at the start of term.

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Kelly McDonald, mum of Eve and Toby, is the Northern Ireland co-ordinator of Tamba, the Twins and Multiple Births Association.

She has shared some top tips for parents, teachers and friends of twins starting school.

Kelly said: “Twins usually get treated the same and are often referred to as ‘the twins’ rather than by their names.

“It will be best for them if parents, teachers and their friends at school can use each child’s name when speaking to them, looking at each child when they do.

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“Parents and teachers should teach the twins to have the confidence to correct people if they get their names wrong and encourage them to do this in public.

“Try not to compare twins with each other, instead notice and comment on progress each has made individually.

Kelly continued: “This is our second primary one journey as our eldest son James has just started into P7 at Greenisland. With Toby and Eve, we seem more relaxed as they have each other; however I know that one of them is definitely more confident that the other.”

TAMBA offers advice for parents who are considering a choice of school for their “multiples”.

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A “webinar” is available covering a range of topics such as whether or not multiples should be taught in the same class; what schools can do to enhance their individual needs; questions to ask schools how they manage twins, triplets or more, and challenges of managing different abilities.