Is It Okay for Twins to Learn at Different Speeds?

Twins may look exactly alike, but that doesn't mean their brains develop at the same rate or in the same way. Being a parent of fraternal twins, I've noticed significant learning differences, including the rate at which each child learns new concepts. One of my twins is better at reading and math and the other is a creative genius that loves to help others. Despite understanding that twins learn at different rates today, when I was a new twin parent I was convinced that twins needed to learn everything at the same time in the same way.

Learning curves start in early infancy. At six months of age, my youngest daughter learned to talk. She sat up in her crib and looked at me with the brightness of the sun and said, "Mommy." From there her vocabulary grew rapidly. Her twin brother, however, did not speak his first word until three months later.

From talking to walking; twins develop individually. The differences in learning speeds continued through the first year of life. My son crawling on all fours, like a parent expects a child to crawl, but his twin sister dragged her body on the ground like a soldier doing a training exercise. At 14 months old, she started walking, but her twin brother decided to wait two more months before taking the leap from infant to toddler.

Leaving walking behind for running. As my twins continued to develop and grow, I noticed a significant difference in athletic ability. My daughter loves to play basketball and she can handle a ball with control and speed. Her brother, however, cannot bounce a ball to save his life, but he is one aggressive defensive player. They both play on the same basketball team, but they play different roles despite being twins.

Learning in the classroom mimics physical developments. Even though my daughter started talking first, her brother started reading a full year before she did. He excels at reading, math and science. He is a left brain learner. My daughter, on the other hand, tends to excel in art, sports and helping others. She is a right brain learner. They are twins, but they learn differently and thus they learn at different speeds.

Having twins is a unique experience that only a twin parent can understand. When those two little ones come home, you immediately think they'll talk together, crawl together, walk together and learn together, but you soon realize that just because twins share DNA does not mean they learn at the same rate.

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