How old do you think this child is?

[applefigs]

Please settle this debate! DP thinks one thing, I think another.

The child in question read this page fluently. Found the word 'calcium' tricky.

At what age would you expect a child to be reading this?

Depends on the child's interest for things like that.

Ds aged 5yo was reading books about Spitfires and read some really complicated stuff about their engines which he then told me with great excitement If however you'd given him a book about fairies and elves he'd have stuck before the end of the first page if he'd bothered getting that far.

I'd have said that book looks like various ones aimed at 5-7yos.

I just tried ds3 on it, he's 7.5 in Y3.

He could read it all but he still sounds somewhat robotic and he doesn't read aloud as fast as normal speech...so he didnt really sound 'fluent'. Teacher (and us) are currently focusing on encouraging expression when reading.

I know there are several dc in his class leaps and bounds ahead of him on book levels though, and, I presume, ahead in general 'fluency'.

I've realised it's all pretty meaningless though. Elder dc are 17 and 14. They were both absolute whizzes from age 3 (far far 'better' at reading than ds3 is). They'd finished the entire school reading schemes by Y2, from Y3 onwards both did guided reading in the Y6 class whixh was more their level. They grew up in a house full of books, were read to regularly, loved books when younger, had me as an excellent example as I read voraciously.

I don't think either has picked a book up for pleasure since about age 11. Maybe a skim through the Guiness World Records 😂. They're both categorically 'non-readers'. Ds1 specifically, currently doing A Levels, will do everything possible to avoid reading. Looks for audio books of his subject textbooks etc. So them being so precocious didn't actually do any 'good' in wider life-terms.

One in ten adults has problems with literacy in the UK and could struggle with this page. So the answer could be anything up to 101! And even many adults who can read it couldn't actually define calcium carbonate. I'm struggling to remember the chemical formula myself and will now have to go and Google it because my stupid brain won't let it go 😡

I’m 50 and I didn’t know that’s how it’s pronounced…

"Minibeasts"

AAAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😡😡😡

I can feel the unbridled rage rising in me now. I HATE that ludicrous word. It is inaccurate, unscientific, infantile, and it's so fucking twee.

<misses point of thread>

Around 6yo ?

Reading is hard but writing is even harder for young children. When we were in Singapore, my child had a spelling test once a week at kindergarten(reception). He was 5yo at that time.

I'd say 6.

DS has that book and can read it, he's recently six. The thing that would throw him would be 40,000 interestingly, he'd get 40 and understand it was a much bigger number, but not sure if he'd know that ,000 means thousand

I have taught reception to year 3 for 20 years and I would say anywhere in that age range. Average would be age 6-8, but I have had a couple of 4 year olds through my classes that could have read it, although rare at that age.

There could be much variation. On avergae that book would be read from a child in year 2- year 4

For those saying age 3, the question at the end of the OP was ‘At what age would you expect a child to be reading this?’ Although some 3 year olds may be able read it, I wouldn’t ‘expect’ a 3 year old to be able to read it, because far more 3 year olds couldn’t than could.

I’m not sure if it’s a lack of reading/comprehension skills from certain posters, or whether it’s just an opportunity for them to try to boast or feel superior. It’s very odd but these posters make themselves look silly imo.

Why are people always trying to compare their children? Seriously I'm just do t do it, they all develop at different rates.

Non-fiction is a lot easier at that age than fiction -

I really don't like the design of the book. I love a bit of illustration - hand or digital. This looks like a PowerPoint. And the dark colours too! Is it self published? That aside, agree with others that the language appears pitched at 5-7. If they're younger, they're doing well. But I'd still give them some more visually engaging and imaginative books!

Oh these threads never go well.

Parent posts because they think they might have unearthed a child-genius. People get snarky because it's all a bit PFB.

Posters start either insisting that their 8 month old can do calculus or that their 27 year old would struggle
And OP's 'big reveal' of "Sonny is only four" falls flat on its face

3

Whether they'd want to read it is another matter. Visually, it's terrible!

I’d guess year 2 but could be older say 9/10?

8-10? Personally I think chitin (in the same section) would be an even harder word!

I would have said 9-10?!

I could read that at 3 (apart from two words) and would sit with the newspaper each day. At 4 I'd read DB's secondary school books. Was I a genius? No, but I loved books, began reading at 2 and was mostly self-taught.
It proves nothing. I was a precocious child and asked DSis's headmaster when I could start school (small country peimary in the early 70s). He replied when I could read... I started full time the September after my third Birthday.

The bit about 'minibeasts'. 'This means...' No it doesn't. It is an informal collective term. Not a definitive noun. The book looks like it's been entirely produced by AI. I'm sure your child is very able. And would benefit from some books which have creative integrity. And put money in the pockets of writers and artists.

Grandson is 5 he can read it as he has that book here, son aged 3 could read the newspaper effortlessly as he had hyperlexia (not typical) another of my sons would have been able to at 7 so I'd say it could be anywhere from 3 and 7

Tell us you & your husband's guess & I'll tell you which is closer

One of you is right. Your child is a genius.