The early sociability of toddlers: The origins of teaching

Toddlers’ person-directed behaviors were recorded longitudinally in a naturalistic preschool setting. An observer (O, the author) recorded children's behaviors with an IC recorder during play sessions. Seventeen children, as a group, were observed once a week in 3 blocks of 7 weeks (21 total hours). Person-directed behaviors toward the observer increased with each block. Toddlers’ teaching behaviors were classified precisely. This teaching classification should be the first event of the origins of teaching.