Testing My Twins

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/opinion/sunday/testing-my-twins.html?ref=opinion

Could twins hold more similarities than we currently know? This New York Times article, written by Claire Needell Hollander, explains an unusual correlation of test scores between two identical twin sisters. The article, a piece featured in the Opinion section, is addressing those affiliated with the education system (teachers, principals, guidance councilors, etc) as well as parents of children in both public and private schools. Hollander noted that her twin daughters had identical scores on their fourth grade standardized tests and almost exactly the same in fifth grade. However, the scores from fifth grade were fourty points lower than the test in fourth, leading to Hollander’s question: “How could they have not learned anything all year?” She questions whether this drop had something to do with her children’s twin-hood, making knowledge of studies of identical twins very beneficial for the reader. Hollander takes advantage of this situation, converting it from a story of twin relationships to a message of securing the optimal education of American youth. When looking through this lens, readers can confidently conclude that Hollander, with her use of logos, syntax, and repetition, was able to convey her desired message in the article. Maybe, Hollander proposes, we should focus more on the educators teaching our children than the students themselves.