Two-Year-Old Prodigy Makes History as Mensa’s Youngest Member

While most toddlers are just starting to learn the alphabet, two-year-old Joseph Harris-Birtill from the UK can already read entire books.

He’s now exploring Morse code, the Greek alphabet, and even developing an interest in the periodic table.

Seeing his remarkable abilities, his parents, Rose and David, contacted Mensa’s UK branch for guidance on supporting his development.

Mensa not only offered advice but also accepted Joseph into their ranks—officially making him the youngest member in the history of the world’s oldest and largest high-IQ society at just 2 years and 182 days old.

In 2023, Isla McNabb from Kentucky joined Mensa at 2 years and 195 days old, after her intelligence was assessed in the 99th percentile.

Meeting Mensa’s High Bar at an Early Age

To join Mensa, candidates must either pass a recognized IQ test or provide compelling evidence proving they fall within the top 2 percent of the population in terms of intelligence.

Joseph met those standards at a remarkably young age.

“It quickly became clear he was an extraordinary little person—he rolled over at five weeks, said his first word at seven months, and read his first book aloud from start to finish at just under 2 years old,” his mother Rose told Vicki Newman at Guinness World Records.

“By two and a quarter, he was reading aloud fluently for 10 minutes straight, counting to 10 in five different languages, and counting both forward and backward well past 100.”

In comparison, most infants don’t develop the motor skills needed for head and neck control until they’re about four months old.

Language milestones usually see children speaking their first clear word around 12 months, while reading in any language generally doesn’t begin until about five or six years old.

Although Joseph’s accomplishments are remarkable, they don’t guarantee an easy path ahead. Educational systems are often more equipped to assist students who struggle to meet benchmarks than those who significantly exceed them.

Seeking Support for an Exceptionally Gifted Child

Aware of the potential challenges in meeting their son’s advanced educational and developmental needs, Rose and David reached out to UK Mensa for support.

“I looked online for any additional help and found that Mensa provides resources and membership for exceptionally gifted children,” Rose explains.

“We hope this achievement will give him a sense of pride as he grows older—it’s an incredibly rare honor, and all the credit belongs to him!”

Genuine child prodigies are extremely uncommon, estimated to occur in just one out of every 5 to 10 million children. Their exceptional abilities typically result from a combination of genetics and environment.

No matter how far ahead Joseph is in his academic pursuits, it’s clear he has the love and support he needs to keep exploring the depths of his extraordinary mind throughout his childhood.

Read the original article on: Sciencealert

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