Chapter 9: Assessing Children’s Peer Relationships in Early Educational and Childcare Settings

Children become interested in peers and begin to interact and form relationships with them early in life (see Ladd, 2005). Infants orient toward peers by 2 months of age, make simple gestures by 3 to 4 months, and direct smiles and vocalizations toward peers by 6 months. Interactions begin early too; in their first year, infants direct actions toward peers, and by the second and third years, toddlers create “games” based on reciprocal gestures and play. Very young children also form relationships with peers. As early as 2 years, toddlers exhibit strong preferences for particular play partners and over time these early play preferences can develop into complex relationships. It is the last of these three developments—the relationships that young children form with peers—that is the focus of this chapter.