2014 started off with an unexpected bang for me with my acceptance on January 2 into the new Murphy - Meisgeier Type Indicator for Children(R) (MMTIC (R)) Online Certification Program. The MMTIC is the children's version of the Myers - Briggs Type Indicator(R), in which I've been certified since 1998. It is used with children in grades 2 - 12, as well as their parents and teachers, to explore the approaches to learning which would be the most successful fit for their personality types. As someone who has worked in the educational assessment field for nearly 18 1/2 years, I have always been interested in the MMTIC, which has been used in various forms since 1987. Now for the first time (and thus my use of the word unexpected in my first sentence!) certification in the MMTIC is not only available but accessible and affordable!
On February 1 I completed the first MMTIC training module, which consists entirely of Dr. Elizabeth Murphy's outstanding book, The Developing Child: Using Jungian Type to Understand Children. Dr. Murphy, who was born in 1949, is a licensed specialist in school psychology and one of the authors of the MMTIC, together with Dr. Charles Meisgeier. She is considered an expert in using psychological type with children.
In The Developing Child Dr. Murphy defines all terms and makes them easy to understand for those new to psychological type concepts.
The book has 13 chapters, including "Jungian Type and Child Development," "Psychological Type and Type Development," "Interacting with the World: Extraversion and Introversion," "Taking In the World: Sensing and Intuition," "Making Decisions: Thinking and Feeling," and "Observable Behaviors: Judging and Perceiving." Other chapters cover the crucial question of how knowing whether a child prefers Introversion or Extraversion, Sensing or Intuition, etc., can help adults to build positive relationships with him or her. There are also chapters on "Applications of Type to Parenting," Applications of Type to Teaching," and "Suggestions for Improving Relationships With Children of All Types." A "Resources and References" page at the end of the book lists several general books on psychological type as well as several about the use of psychological type with students.
While reading this book I had many jaw - dropping WOW! moments! Even though the Myers - Briggs Type Indicator tool has been part of my life for about 25 years, I learned a LOT from this book. It is amazing how much improvement can be made at home and school when adults are willing to make simple changes to honor a child's personality preferences, no matter how different they are from the adults' own. Here is just a tiny sampling of Dr. Murphy's insights which I find breathtaking.
She points out that Introverts can be mislabeled as stubborn when they don't answer questions immediately, when in fact they are thinking internally...Extraverts need to play before doing homework, and they learn better if allowed to discuss information after they learn it...Sensing and Intuitive children have different approaches to creativity and different reading styles and habits...Communication conflicts can result from the differences between Thinking and Feeling children...A Judging parent can experience much conflict over a Perceiving child's need to work and play at the same time...Judging and Perceiving children have different writing styles..., and many, many more, each with a corresponding suggestion. The book contains some really amazing success stories, too lengthy to include here, of improved relationships and test scores when children are allowed to be who they are.
Unfortunately The Developing Child does contain some repetition. Occasionally while reading I had the feeling, usually correct, that I had just read the same thing a few pages ago. Also sadly, The Developing Child is out of print. However, I have identified a number of places where it is still available. Among these is the San Antonio Public Library, and I am sure that many other libraries carry it as well.
It is also available for sale on www.amazon.com in both print and Kindle formats. The print edition is published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing and is the 168 page first edition from January 19, 1992. A used copy can be bought from Amazon for only $0.01! Be sure to read the four very helpful reviews of this book on Amazon. Also please be aware that there is another book titled The Developing Child which is by Helen L. Bee, so when searching online it is important to type in the entire title. Amazon's Kindle edition sells for $9.99.
www.barnesandnoble.com sells The Developing Child as a NOOK book for $9.99 and their description of the book contains a nice biography of Dr. Murphy. They also have it in the paperback format starting at $1.99.
Whether borrowed or bought, I feel strongly that all parents, teachers and others who have relationships with children (and wouldn't that be just about all of us?) should read this book, and will be extremely glad we did. I appreciate the Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT) for making The Developing Child: Using Jungian Type to Understand Children a required part of our MMTIC Certification Program, and am thankful that Dr. Murphy has made it available to us. The Developing Child is too good and can bring about too much good in children's lives to sit on a shelf!
Update: On 10/28/15 I discovered this book is back in print in a second, 2013 edition published by CAPT. Click here for ordering information, and ENJOY!!!!