To ask how old you think the child is who wrote this?

[Fluffylikeacoconut]

I suspect I might get some snarky comments but I’m genuinely curious - people with more experience than me (which is zero) - what age would this be ‘typical’ of. Handwriting is joined and very good.

I am typing it exactly as it is written - spelling and punctuation.

The fire lit a spark - not only in my mind but in a foot deep pile of sharp kindling. It began its first meal, desperate for the first taste of fresh air. It ate and ate until it was sated.
You could feel the tension, taut in the air as the fire grew and grew. Below, the river looked up mesmirised as it slowly crossed beneath a bridge.
The fire danced on, waltzing with the twiggy fingers of the trees, the soft silky coccoons of leaves and the old, moldy, spiky kindling. Ash floated around me like little fairys and once again the fire opened its menacing jaws. As soon as the fire strocked a bright leaf dripping with sap, its thin flamey hands turned to a cold silver and then to stone black. The fire turned and tried to flee before it suddenly disintigreated.
Now the old forest is gone but the ecosystem begins again, I watch the very first bud blossoms bloom. I savour the moment and watch as the old forest rises again, new and beautiful.

It’s hard to age as the vocabulary does feel more 11/12 but it makes no sense as a piece of writing, which made me think younger. Definitely a case of throw all the metaphors, adjectives etc in which seems to be what is encouraged at this age.

Shows she has a good vocab and grasps what is being asked of her which is always a good start.

I find it strange that you’d think if your child as average when teachers have told you ages gifted.

I would have said a teenager.
Where did she get the word sated from?!

When my children were in the last years of primary school they were encouraged to write in an adjective-packed style. The more descriptive the better. I trained as a journalist and this really went against how I had learned to write. It's interesting that you are having to overcome those lessons once they leave school.

She read it or heard it.

Where do we get any words from?

I'm a teacher. Anything from age 8.

This is amazing for a child! There are adults who couldn’t write anything close to this!

And some of them don't. They go on to write novels weighed down by the ridiculous use of adjectives. The sort of book which by page 5 you want to hurl across the room.

I have written for pleasure since I was the same age as the OP's daughter, and how joyless I would have found it as a child if I'd had to worry about writing something publishable.

It's an excellent attempt, OP, and I would have guessed much older. No, I wouldn't be impressed if I'd come across it in a published book by an adult author (though it's arguably better than some of the things I have seen in published books!) - but to be experimenting with such imagery and vocabulary at a young age is very impressive!

I'm always being told how bright my 9yr old is but she couldn't write anything close to this.
It's obviously a child from the style but the imagery and language is great.

In general I don't tend to approve of thinking of people being gifted or even emphasising 'talent', because perseverance is what really matters, and reading. She has an extraordinary sensitivity and openesss and you must do everything in your power to protect and nurture that. Don't let her be schooled too much. Encourage wide reading. No pressure and not too much praise for attainment. Lots of space to be creative. The pp who said that good writing is concise obviously hasn't read Proust. The mesmerised river is utterly perfect. She is able to convey the contours of her inner experience of with a sensitivity and emotion that very few adults could manage. What's extraordinary is the rendering of a pure and innocent childhood experience or wonder but confidently using a complex adult vocabulary to convey it. Usually once people have mastered adult language they are too self conscious to convey their inner world accurately and instead hide or resort to cliche.

I think this is a very special 8 year old! How talented she is. I hope she keeps writing.

9/10, year five age, but what's with the poll?

I'd have said an 8-10 year old who reads a lot and has a love of words. That's the important part, not whether it's age appropriate or 'advanced', but that it demonstrates an ability to experiment with language and use it to create compelling and engaging text. That's the ability that will stand her in great stead whatever she does, as our ideas are only ever as good as our ability to express them.

Ah don't brush it off they wouldn't have any reason to over egg it to you I hope she enjoys writing. I liked reading her poem

This, and at 8 OP's dd is bright and eager to be applying it with fun and determination. Excellent! She has potential. I personally wouldn't bother with writing competitions, it's demotivating not to ever win and only few win, it's also very subjective. Let her own her learning and do it for the fun and pleasure of it.

I read the flaming hands changing to silver then black as meaning that the fire is burning things to ash. Burning what it touches.

They said gifted at her Year 3 parent meeting but I tend to brush it off as being something they just say. What kind of school does she go to private or state? State schools don't tend to label dc as gifted.

An incredibly talented 15 year old or older would be my guess. I was quite talented as a writer as a teen - I entered a few of the bigger writing comps (foyle young poets) and placed quite well etc but my writing wasn’t as good as this.

I’d say my 12 year old could write that but she is incredibly academic and very well read for her age. No chance my 9 year old could and she’s very good at English too.

That is wonderful for an 8 year old - you probably do need to give her more credit and not let her light be outshone by her elder brother (though I am sure you are doing your best).

Rather than teach kids that high-falutin' words, complex sentences and poetic subjects are the goal to aim for, why aren't we teaching them to express their actual feelings and experiences in language that they understand?
I agree this would add a very important dimension to empowering children. It doesn't have to be either or though.

No I mean jealous.

Maybe 8 or 9 years old? I’ve certainly read this level of writing by children of that age.

The pp who said that good writing is concise obviously hasn't read Proust. The mesmerised river is utterly perfect. She is able to convey the contours of her inner experience of with a sensitivity and emotion that very few adults could manage. What's extraordinary is the rendering of a pure and innocent childhood experience or wonder but confidently using a complex adult vocabulary to convey it.

She's not recounting an innocent childhood experience, though, unless she has ever experienced a forest fire. She's mimicking poetic prose. She's clearly bright and has a wide vocabulary but she doesn't understand what she's writing about

What's a mesmerised river? What does it mean? How is it mesmerised? What does a mesmerised river look or sound like?