Final answer:
The first verbal operant to be taught is the mand, which is used by a child to request or demand something and is reinforced by the direct receipt of what is requested.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first verbal operant to be taught according to B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior is the mand. A mand is a type of verbal behavior that is used to request or demand something, and it is typically the easiest form of verbal operant for a child to learn because it results in direct reinforcement. For example, when a child says "water" and is given water, the action of receiving what was requested reinforces the use of that word in the future.
Other verbal operants, such as the tact, the echoic, and the intraverbal, are taught subsequently. A tact is used to label or describe objects and situations in the environment, an echoic involves repeating what is heard, and an intraverbal involves a response to the speech of others that doesn't have a direct point-to-point correspondence with the stimulus.