The Thinking Myth Most Parents Still Believe
or What if the Apple Does Fall Far from the Tree?
We’re a creative family. Science just isn’t our thing.
I’m not a math person — and he’s just like me.
"If it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful."
Many parents assume their child’s ability to think — logically, visually, analytically — is something they’re born with.
That it’s inherited, fixed, passed down like eye color.
That it’s inherited, fixed, passed down like eye color.
Here’s what decades of research really show
For years, scientists studied identical twins — people with the exact same genetic code.
The results? Surprising.
Identical twins often develop completely different thinking styles.
One is analytical.
One is visual.
One excels in abstract reasoning.
The other struggles with it.
Even when raised in the same home, with the same parents, and the same DNA.
The results? Surprising.
Identical twins often develop completely different thinking styles.
One is analytical.
One is visual.
One excels in abstract reasoning.
The other struggles with it.
Even when raised in the same home, with the same parents, and the same DNA.
The myth started to break when math entered the chat
A mathematician named Kamin reviewed twin studies and noticed something odd:
In every study, the correlation between twins’ intelligence was exactly the same — 0.82. Every time.
That’s statistically impossible. It means the data was likely distorted — or at least, incomplete.
So researchers dug deeper.
And when they looked closer, they saw that thinking abilities diverge more in early childhood — not less.
In every study, the correlation between twins’ intelligence was exactly the same — 0.82. Every time.
That’s statistically impossible. It means the data was likely distorted — or at least, incomplete.
So researchers dug deeper.
And when they looked closer, they saw that thinking abilities diverge more in early childhood — not less.
In fact, the younger the twins, the more different their thinking patterns.
And by high school, those differences start to fade — especially when kids go through the same education system
And by high school, those differences start to fade — especially when kids go through the same education system
So what’s really going on?
Thinking grows where thinking is practiced
It's not that genes don’t matter. But thinking is not something you inherit — it’s something that forms.
It’s shaped by:
And just because you struggled in math or writing — doesn’t mean your child will.
Unless you raise them in the same environment that caused you to struggle.
It’s shaped by:
- the kinds of questions your child is asked
- the way lessons are taught
- the tasks they’re given
- and the tools they’re shown
And just because you struggled in math or writing — doesn’t mean your child will.
Unless you raise them in the same environment that caused you to struggle.
What this means for you
- Your child’s thinking isn’t “set.”
- It's not “inherited.”
- And it’s absolutely changeable.
At Conscious Schooling, we help parents uncover how their child’s mind really works
Not with labels.
Not with grades.
But through real cognitive diagnostics — built on decades of research.
Not with grades.
But through real cognitive diagnostics — built on decades of research.
We show you:
1
What kind of thinking your child uses most
2
Where their strengths are — and where support is needed
3
Which types of learning actually help them grow
