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.

I haven't RTFT, but I'd say Year 4 ish. It reads as though the child is attempting to use as many "key words" as possible, after discussing them in class. I'd say that they've probably been doing some sort of Talk for Writing/Teaching Backwards activities and the children are all churning out very similar pieces of writing.

I think it is a lovely and very creative piece of writing, parts of which would be impressive whatever the age of the child. I especially liked "the river looked up".

I don't doubt that there is some "scaffolding", as one teacher on the thread usefully explained, but your daughter has done done lovely work with it.

I don't believe some of the posters who have guessed very low. I think they are perhaps eager to strip you of any sense that your child is talented. My own guess was 12.

Just to add, I think that the best way to respond is a combination of gentle loving praise plus basically leaving her alone to get on with the pure joy of playing around with words and imagined scenes.
School will moan on about all the grammatical and compositional rules they have to teach, but her writing should be nurtured as a kind of joyful play, just as reading should be.

I don't think any teacher would tell parents their child is gifted if they didn't believe that to be the case. But I know from experience that it is all too easy to underestimate a quiet child in particular, We thought DD was less academic than her brother, but as things have turned out I would say she is the more academic of the two.

It’s beautiful writing. It’s way beyond just using descriptive words for the sake of it (yes, I agree it’s based on this method, and of course it’s ’over-written’ from an adult perspective). But the ‘ash like fairies’, the waltzing fire, and then the description of it trying to flee as its burning out; its beyond simply using words for the sake it, the imagery here is lovely. I enjoyed reading it, it didn’t simply feel like an exercise in getting as many descriptive words and ‘impressive’ vocab in there as possible, like so many pieces of creative writing seem to do. Exceptional for an 8 year old.

This, although Year 3 might be pushing it. It's the type of writing my kids were doing about this age. They're strong at English but not remarkable. Maybe year 5. In secondary I'd expect it to be less over engineered if they were strong in English.

[Assuming as you're asking the question that you think the child writing this is strong in English. It wouldn't be a bad piece for Year 8, just that I wouldn't be shocked if you say your child is Year 4. Year 2 I would be!]

Sorry have now RTFT. I think if she's Year 4, it's very good but it's not shockingly good. She may well be very strong at English and you should encourage her if it's something she enjoys. No need to put pressure on her but praise her (which you should do even if it is pretty rubbish at this age!) and give her the space to develop it as she wants to.

I would swear that is ChatGPT

I think it is amazing - both for a child of her age and as a piece of work on its own Understands the concept of a fire's progression and desribes with beautiful words

My child is 7, and I think the sun shines out of his arse but there’s no way he could write like that. It’s a great piece of writing

OP, my DD would write like this at the age of 8, and she's extremely gifted in English and is enjoying her English Literature degree course now. Your Dd's style of writing also shows how gifted she is at such a young age, as not many Children write like she has.

You’re definitely right with regard to the poster who said 5. That’s just ridiculous. That said, 12’s a bit old because it is clearly scaffolded and because you’d be amazed what a talented 12 year old can turn out. I’m a secondary English teacher and would put money on it being a primary child. My guess would be around year 4, maybe 5.

Actually, I'm revising my very good upwards on a second read and if she genuinely did this completely on her own (noting they've been learning fire poetry at school and I suspect that it's actually something she's been working on in class that she's playing around with at home). Completely independently, I think this would still be strong at year 6/7, and so probably exceptional at Year 4.

[It most definitely doesn't read as ChatGPT. Or at least if an 8 year old can give ChatBPT prompts to get content like this, that's gifted in itself!]

Sweeping statements are my bête noire. 😆😆You know the ‘state’ of the whole education system in the UK? Amazing, you must be omniscient. But I do agree with your age estimate - 11/12.

The child has used a lot of linguistic devices (arguably, too many but a good editor would work on that). It’s very imaginative and beautiful work. 😊 The writer seems to really like writing which is the most important thing. Punctuation needs further refinement.

Decades ago at school we were given a list of words and had to look up the meaning in the dictionary, and then include them in an essay.
Could this have been a similar exercise?

So she’s gifted. Gets exceeding in her school reports.

And you describe her as average and not as good as her brother?

What do you think that is going to do to her?

You already know the answer to that as you’ve experienced it.

Don’t repeat the pattern.

Don’t continue to underestimate her. My parents did that with me because my brother was a boy. It was only when they had the same attitude towards my son and daughter that it became really obvious to me (although DH noticed before we had children). I think I did underestimate my daughter’s intelligence a bit at first as it was so ingrained in my upbringing. I am lucky that my DH was not like that about her and we broke the cycle.

I’ve seen your answer OP, but thought I’d weigh in - I’ve taught upper key stage 2 for 5 years and it reads (if you don’t take the range of punctuation requirement into account) like greater depth Year 5/6 writing.

I would say 12+ for the writing itself, though a few spelling mistakes points to actually younger.
It is really good.
It reminds me of Wilbur Smith's style for some reason.

I agree. Definitely jealous. You wouldn't see this type of writing in most primary schools.

I think this is amazing and can't believe people are saying the ages they are! I think it's something i would be proud if my 16 year old son wrote!!!

Can't believe your 8 year old wrote it. What a very clever girl!!!

Could be anyone between 7 and 11. Would be a v gifted 7 year old though.

I teach English to postgraduate level and these people saying that writing is typical of an 8-10 year old are so full of shit and flat out jealous. That is an extraordinary piece of writing. She is gifted.
This is really not the case. It's a writing methods, all expected/beyond kids at our junior school write in this style. Another poster called it scaffolded, it's a technique they learn. It's sounds nice and at 8, OP's dd is bright, keen and creative to run with it at this level. She is likely highly intelligent, seeing that her brother and mother are too but the writing alone suggests a child that enjoys school, is engaged with her English lessons and well read.

I ask because I think I do her a disservice. She has a very bright older brother and I tend to think she isn’t as able and would largely describe her as average even though I am aware her reports set her as exceeding.
I think I need to do better at not underestimating her.

Yes, you sound like you favour your son @Fluffylikeacoconut I suppose sexism is ingrained through your socialisation.

Gifted or not, encourage, support and continuously say how clever she is. If you don't encourage, they will assume they can't do it and stop trying.