# 10 year old gets it right **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2002, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948 "2002-12-02T13:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/21 "2002-12-03T00:49:16Z")
I agree with the kid too, of course. But the writing style is a little sophisticated for a ten year old. I smell a toad. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/22 "2002-12-03T01:06:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*I agree with the kid too, of course. But the writing style is a little sophisticated for a ten year old. I smell a toad. \*\* Loathe as I am to brag, I had a 12th grade reading level in 5th grade. It is indeed possible for a ten year old to possess such skills. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/23 "2002-12-03T01:09:56Z")
I’ve yet to see a 10 year-old that even knows what a semicolon is, let alone uses one. So the kid got some editing help when he needed it; he’s got my vote! ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/24 "2002-12-03T02:31:30Z")
\*\* Myrr21 \*\* Like **Blalron** , I had a high reading/writing level very early in life (Junior in college level whilst in third grade) and I could most certainly use a semicolon at the age of 10. Even with a reputation among the teachers as an excellent student, writer, etc., I was asked, “Are you sure you wrote this?” way too many time for my liking. That’s a really insulting thing to say without any proof. I’ve never copied anything in my life, or needed “editing help”. Not to say that ALL 10 year olds can write as well as Sean Goossens from Duluth, but there are a surprising number. It’s insulting to _assume_ that he needed help to write that. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/25 "2002-12-03T03:42:30Z")
Also, I might add that this kid apparently is an avid reader, which immensely improves one’s writing. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/26 "2002-12-03T03:56:40Z")
Well, congratulations to all you goddamn geniuses (genii?), but I still think the odds are on my side. Besides, I think knowing when to ask for help is a damn sight better than reading at some phenomenal level, which may not result in writing at that level anyway. [sub]and (somewhat off-topic): 1. How the hell do they determine these sorts of things to begin with? I really hope it isn’t being dragged down by some of the slobbering idiots out there. 2. How the fuck do people find out? Hell, I was a completely obsessive reader (and still am), but nobody ever walked up to me and said, “congratulations son, you just hit the 11th grade level.”[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/27 "2002-12-03T04:41:38Z")
I didn’t find it unusual for a ten year old. Maybe you just don’t spend enough time around kids. Some of them are actually quite intelligent if you give them a chance. I could read and write by the time I was about 4, and nothing about the letter seemed unbelievable to me. IMO, anything that gets kids to read instead of playing video games or (worse) watching television constantly is a Good Thing [sup]TM[/sup]. And though I haven’t read them, I’ve heard the HP books are very good. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/28 "2002-12-03T05:17:47Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, congratulations to all you goddamn geniuses (genii?), but I still think the odds are on my side. Besides, I think knowing when to ask for help is a damn sight better than reading at some phenomenal level, which may not result in writing at that level anyway. Your thinking is skewed. Odds are a 10 year old who ISN’T extremely intelligent would never write such a letter. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/29 "2002-12-03T06:18:33Z")
I could read when I was 4. I loved the Sunday papers cartoons, mom (who home-schooled me the first years) says that I was in a hurry to read them. By my 10th birthday I was an obsessively avid reader, I would be grounded for reading too much :rolleyes:, and yes, I could write at about that same level. And before you ask, no, I am not _particularly_ intelligent. I just loved reading and that helped me improve my writing skills. ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/30 "2002-12-03T06:27:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrr21 \* > \*\*I’ve yet to see a 10 year-old that even knows what a semicolon is, let alone uses one. > > So the kid got some editing help when he needed it; he’s got my vote! \*\* Many newspapers vow not to meddle with the content of letters to the editor, but if the copy editors think they can get away with it, they’ll always punch up the grammar and spelling on the letters they agree with. I believe that either the kid has an unusual understanding of punctuation for his age or someone with an Atex terminal has a soft spot for his opinion. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/31 "2002-12-03T06:44:02Z")
I’ve been encouraging my children to read all the HP books, see the movies, and generally immerse themselves in the culture, and what has it gotten me? Nothing! No transmogrification of a dirty house into a clean one, no handy teleportation when we’re late for events, and forget turning each other into toads - they couldn’t even turn the neighbor’s barking dog into one! Is there perhaps some other evil children’s fiction that would teach them to do these things reliably? ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/32 "2002-12-03T06:53:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by InternetLegend \* > \*\*Is there perhaps some other evil children’s fiction that would teach them to do these things reliably? \*\* There’s the old reliable, _The Anarchist’s Cookbook_. Although I think you can only rely on it teaching them to turn the house into a smoldering pile of rubble. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/33 "2002-12-03T07:16:23Z")
A couple years ago I ran across a Christian fundamentalist website that ranting about children joining satanic cults as a result of Harry Potter. You know what it relied on as its only source of evidence? An article by the Onion. Yup. Unfortunately I can’t find the site and the Onion has removed the original from its site. But apparently many Christian groups have fallen for the satire, and it’s spread far enough that [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/potter.htm) has an entry on it. As they put it, “If The Onion’s parody has demonstrated anything, it’s that we should be worrying about _adults_ not being able to distinguish between fiction and reality. The kids themselves seem to have a pretty good grasp of it.” ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/34 "2002-12-04T00:22:17Z")
**myrr21** , I found out by undergoing hours and hours of testing. When I was in kindergarten, I interrupted the teacher by reading the name of our coloring book (“Baby Animals”) and took an IQ test, and then was tested regularly throughout school for IQ and reading. It got me out of tons of class and on tons of field trips. Fun stuff! And, I definitely agree with you that knowing when to ask for help is a better skill than knowing how to read phenomenally well. I’d be a lot better off if I were more balanced in that respect. ---
**Author:** ![Flowerchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Flowerchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flowerchild)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948/35 "2002-12-04T00:35:19Z")
> [@](#): > > took an IQ test, and then was tested regularly throughout school for IQ and reading. It got me out of tons of class and on tons of field trips. Fun stuff! I had a similar school Expirience. I got put into a class twice a week with kids who were somewhat excelled,we went on way more feild trips than my normal classes,and all the work was easy stuff like brain teasers,riddles,and word searches.😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-year-old-gets-it-right/139948.md?page=1)