What you have to remember is that there are different learning styles and most children exhibit them from the very beginning. If we look at our group we can see the ones that just sit and take it all in and then reproduce what they see, the ones that dive right in without a care in the world even to their own safety, the ones that accept what we tell them and the ones that insist of trying for themselves, those that sit in circletime and those that can't sit still but learn on the run literally. I have found in my biters they are either the most laid back kids until they snap and lash out or they are the ones that have to be totally hands on with what and how they learn. Of course at 16 months you are still guessing but when you file the info away for later it usually pans out. How we deal with both of those children is different. For the one they actually need to experience being more outgoing so they don't feel as threatened by the child that came too close or whatever and the other child needs to be shown limits - not told limits - shown in concrete ways limits.