How Does Cognitive Development Affect My Child/Student?

Check out this youtube video where I go through how cognitive development affects children and how they learn! 

Here are some links to more in-depth information:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/teachereducationx92x1/chapter/piagets-theory-of-cognitive-development/

https://www.learningrx.com/4-cognitive-stages-for-child-development/

I have been researching curriculum for what seems like forever!😅 I have settled on using @thegoodandthebeautiful and I am so excited! I will be presenting some things differently according to personality type and using some Math U See to help with parts of math as well. I really loved the wholesome feeling of this curriculum. I also loved the Christian themes that ran through it. I am trying to instill a strength in my children and I really liked how this will help with that! I also loved the academics in it. It also is SO beautiful to look at and work with!

🌟The thing to remember is that there is something available that will help your child according to their personality type, you might have to tweak some things and that’s okay, and finally, if you are invested and doing all you can, it will help your child! You loving them and being there for them, trying to help them learn how they learn best will make all the difference in their education! You are all amazing!!❤️

On to the next adventure....Homeschooling!

Hello all! I know it has been a long time since I have been on here! Now I'm back and putting more personality studies to use! I am now homeschooling my 7-year-old, 6-year-old, and 3-year-old. I started last year with only my 7-year-old but now I will be doing it for both and you all get to be part of the journey! :)

I started planning what I wanted to do back in July and my kids got so excited they asked if we could start then. So that means we started in July. It has been going great though! I was a little wary, to be honest, and I wasn't sure how they would feel starting so early in the summer but they have even cried when we have missed days! I was really surprised by that! Now, this doesn't mean we have had all rainbows and perfect school sessions. I guess the good just must be outweighing the rough times!

If you have studied the personality types on my blog, you'll be interested to know I am a Feeler, my 7-year-old is a Player, my 6-year-old is a Helper, and my 3-year-old is a Thinker (so is my husband). Apparently, nature just wanted it all in one family! ;) Since there is such a variance, this makes planning activities and lessons a bit more challenging. I will be showing my process and pointing out what I do to make it work so hopefully it can help all of you too!

Some of the things we are working on this year are having a growth mindset. If you don't know what this is, you need to look it up! It is so cool and helps kids when they are frustrated! There are so many websites and books. Here is one.

HERE is a great explanation of what it is.

We are also checking out some different curriculums to see which will fit with different personality types. I will go into these on different posts as I research them more.

It has been fun to find Happy Tot Shelf. It has had so many fun themed activities for my kids that I have been able to make more difficult or easier for my kids. She even has a free e-book with TONS of ideas! This last month we have been focusing on The Very Hungry Catapillar shelf and integrating it into our studies. 

These are just some highlights. I am excited to keep sharing what I learn and how it goes with you all! 

Podcast with Personality Cipher

I had the privilege to be interviewed for a podcast on Personality Cipher. I outline a lot of what is talked about on this site and how to use it. I hope you enjoy it! Also, check out the other podcasts of Personality Cipher to learn more about personality and temperament!

Click HERE to listen

Appeal to Their Passions! One of the best ways to teach!

I'm going to give you one of the best ways to teach that I have every found; use your child's passions and interests! Some may think, "those are just their hobbies", or "you can't teach through Shopkins or Pokemon". My answers are, if it's their hobby it means they are interested in it, and yes you can teach through Shopkins and Pokemon! Our goal is to help kids enjoy learning and want to keep learning! This is the key to doing that!!! I'm going to explain how to do it and how to do it according to personality type to maximize their learning potential. This can be done by teachers or parents!

This type of teaching has been one that I have used throughout all my years of teaching. It helps the kids that are bored with learning get excited, but also those who love learning, to love it even more! The word to know when teaching this way is INTEGRATION. What that means, is that you can put almost anything they need to learn mixed into what they are interested in. You are integrating them together.

For example: I had a student who was VERY interested in drawing medieval knights and dragons. He didn't want to pay attention to anything else we were learning in school and so I started integrating his interests. We integrated reading, writing, math, science, and of course history. I would have fiction and non fictional books about medieval times. Some of the books were above his level, but he was so interested that he would get help from me or his parents, or figure it out himself. I noticed his reading level start to improve as he was working to learn about his interest, his passion. In writing we would do journal entries about his drawings or fictional stories he could illustrate. We also did nonfiction writing to diagram about what he was learning and researching. Math we were able to make story problems about his characters and draw pictures to illustrate what was going on in the story problems. Science we looked at inertia of catapults and look at the plants they used for medicine.

It was amazing to see the difference in this child when he would come to school. Instead of being unwilling and bored, he was excited to continue work on a project or share with me something he found at home. His education was continuing outside of school.

There are many resources now that will help integrate interests and lesson plans. But if all else fails, you can create it yourself, or ask someone you know, or you could even email me and I'd be happy to help create some lessons.

Click picture to enlarge

Looking at how personality would play into this type of teaching. Let's look at the template. Whenever we plan a lesson this will help us to remember what helps your child's type when learning.

Helpers: They usually like routine times when they work on things, so they know what to expect. They also like to work in groups, so try to find others with the same interests while doing this kind of teaching. Find ways to connect things to what they know in their life.

Example: If they love animals, go to a farm or zoo. Let them take notes and draw pictures on what they see and find. Tell them to write down questions about the animals. You could provide some too. (What do they eat, where are they originally from? What was the ratio of lions to camels? What is a story you could write about them?)

Players: They need less routine and more spontaneity, but more time to think through what they are doing- don't rush them. They might want to work in groups, but they may also like to work alone. Since they are more sensory oriented, let them use their hands, building supplies, tools, things that get them messy. Also try to connect things to what they see in everyday life.

Example: If they love baseball, go play the game. While they are playing, ask them how fast they think they can run? How could you figure that out? How fast to other things go? What are batting averages? How did baseball start? Could you make bat?

Feelers: Use discussion to talk about their interests and how they are integrated into other subjects. Allow group work. Allow creativity and fantasy in thought, things that maybe couldn't be in this world. Use pictures and writing because they are often their strong suits. They like interactions with adults, find someone in that speciality to help.

Example: If they love fantasy novels you could have them write their own story and characters. Ask them to draw a map of the world of their book or that they have created and make a map key and symbols. Dress up and do a play for family or friends. How many people lived in medieval times? What wars or plagues occurred during those times? Can you figure out the percentage of change in the population after one of these events?

Thinkers: Have as many resources available to them. They like to work alone and have everything available to them. Be a resource yourself by observing and being available to them when needed. Give them time and space to explore and think and to make connections. Give them hypotheticals in their studies.

Example: If they love youtube videos then you can have them research who is that top video sellers, how come? (with your supervision for content) How do you create a video? What type of computer skills do you think are involved? How does editing work? What does it mean to go viral? How any viewers does that mean? Create a script and record it. Create a video about a historical event or teaching a math or science principle.

One example I have always loved, is a TEDx talk done by a boy named Logan LaPlante. He talks about learning through is passion of snow skiing. It is incredibly inspiring. Check it out here.


I love this way of teaching and children do too! I was reminded of this type of teaching by my friend Connor Boyack. He has written a book titled Passion-Driven Education. I highly recommend checking it out! You can look at the amazon page here.


Try this way of teaching out! I think it will surprise you how involved and interested your child/student end up being and the growth that comes from this! I think you'll have a wonderful time teaching them this way and being caught up in their passions and interests!! Enjoy!!

So What ACTUALLY Is Personality?

My last post was a lot of information about the chemistry behind personality and I bet some of you thought, "So what?". Well, here is the "so what". 

Personality is actually made up of different parts. What this website tests for is actually called Temperament. Temperament is what you are genetically predisposed to. This is because of genetics and the chemicals that we talked about in my last post. 

The other part of personality is Character. Character is made up of our experiences, choices, and influences of others. Often when people are looking at this website or others like it, they feel pigeon holed or not fully understood because they feel that it takes our choices out of the equation. These websites are just a start to understanding our personality. 

Through learning of our Temperament we can see what we are predisposed to through nature to become and then as we analyze ourselves, experiences, influences from people and things, and our own choices is when we really start to become fully aware of our true, full, personality.  

So basically Personality is nature and nurture along with choice. I think this is important when working with children or even researching this about ourselves. Since there is more that goes into who we are, we need to truly look to understand each other in all aspects. 

There is one more piece that I feel is important to talk about when working with children. Each child goes through developments physically, mentally, and emotionally that can affect their behavior. As great as it would be to be able to know their temperament and have an answer always, that won't be the case because their of their development and Character. Keep this in mind as you look for solutions.

This website can help a lot with understanding motivations and giving a great jumping off point for teaching your children, but understand that you will have to put in some more effort to see the Character side of their personality. If you ever need help or advice, I would love to help! Email me or comment below! 

Please share this site or posts with anyone you think it might help! I just want parents, kids, teachers, to all have understanding between them and the best relationships possible!

Find Out About The Chemistry Behind Personalities

There is another book that has been really interesting on a personal level and in dealing with my husband. It is called Why Him? Why Her? by Helen Fisher, Ph.D. She has based a lot of her research on Dr. Keirsey's work and a lot of the same resources as him. Something very interesting in her research is the chemicals that are prominent in the different personality types. She has used different personality type names and so I'll put them next to my titles for the types.

The Helper- The Builder: Serotonin's Magic

The Helper traits of loyalty, conscientiousness, duty, respectability, making plans, social, cautious, etc. come from Serotonin. 

"Serotonin has extensive highways through the brain. You inherit your basic activities of this chemical...And this chemical floods, lingers, and recedes from various brain regions, it affects our attitudes and behavior. No brain system acts alone, of course. Serotonin, for instance, can elevate estrogen levels in the brain regions that influence thinking, emotion and memory. Serotonin can also trigger the release of oxytocin- a chemical associated with trusting and the ability to figure out others' states of mind. So all three of these chemicals probably contribute to the Builder's affability, their deep need to attach to family and community, and their tact and managerial skills.

Moreover, serotonin can suppress testosterone activity, particularly in a brain center associated with fear, anger and aggression- the amygdala. The may be why, in part, Builders tend to be calm and self- confident: their serotonin is suppressing aggressive tendencies. Last serotonin suppresses dopamine activity. And as you recall, dopamine often produces impulsive recklessness; hence it is likely that by reducing dopamine activity, serotonin generates the Builder's caution." (Fisher, pg. 64-66)

The Player- The Explorer: Dopamine: The Chemistry of Sensation Seeking

This type is the kind that get easily excited and easily bored. In Dr. Fisher's study, she found that this type all agreed on the statement "I find unpredictable situations exhilarating."

"This sensation-seeking disposition is largely inherited. In fact, some of the contributing genes involved have been discovered. A gene labeled DRD4 controls much of the dopamine activity in brain regions used for thinking, feeling, and motivation. And a specific version of this gene is associated with several varieties of novelty seeking. Old or young; male or female; rich or poor; educated in the ivory tower or on the mean streets: people who have inherited this gene in the dopamine system have an appetite for variety.

Dopamine acts in tandem with several other chemicals, of course, including the closely related norepinephrine and lesser players such as testosterone and serotonin. " (Fisher, pg. 45)

 The Feeler- The Negotiator: Estrogen: The Mother Lode

"How does estrogen enable Negotiators to do their web thinking?

With brain wiring. The brain's two hemispheres are connected by millions of nerve fibers, and individuals who were exposed to more estrogen in the womb have more connections between these brain halves. Estrogen also builds more nerve connections between these brain halves. Estrogen also builds more nerve connections between distant regions within each hemisphere. In short, fetal estrogen constructs a well-connected brain- contributing to the Negotiator's ability to collect and integrate a broad range of information." (Fisher, pg. 106)

"Puberty and life experiences also adjust estrogen activities, however, altering web thinking." (pg. 106) There is a study in her book showing people receiving estrogen and testosterone treatments. The one receiving estrogen remarked how they took longer to make decisions now and they needed to weigh options. The other who was receiving testosterone noticed that they started to miss the overall picture that they once used to take note of.

"Estrogen and testosterone can suppress or enhance each other, depending on many circumstances and interactions. But you inherit your basic levels of each." (pg. 106)

 The Thinker- The Director: Testosterone Priming: Finger Talk

"Systemizing is linked with testosterone, and it's a skill you begin to acquire before you leave the womb. 

As testosterone washes over the fetal brain, it builds the brain architecture for this systemizing ability. Meanwhile, surges of fetal estrogen begin to construct the brain anatomy for empathizing. Levels of both fetal testosterone and fetal estrogen swell and recede in patterns that are inherited. So, depending on the hand you're dealt, you will express predominantly testosterone, predominantly estrogen, or a lot or a little of both- thus predisposing you to be better at systemizing, at empathizing, or good or bad at both. 

Testosterone leaves it's mark in many ways. Take a look at your right hand, palm up. The more testosterone you were exposed to in the womb, the longer your fourth or ring finger will be in relation to your second or pointing finger. If you were exposed to more estrogen, these two fingers will be the same length, or your pointing finger will be longer than your right finger.

Not all Directors receive a surge of testosterone in the womb, some have it at another time, probably puberty. So your finger might not be longer." (Fisher, pg. 86)

I hope you have found this information as interesting as I did! If you have any comments, please leave them below and don't forget to subscribe to the emails! Thanks for reading!