Reading words aloud that adults scribble on an erasable tablet may not be the way many children spend their second birthdays, but it’s how Isla McNabb celebrated hers. Isla’s parents — Jason and Amanda McNabb — said they realized their daughter’s intelligence should be assessed after an aunt gave her an erasable writing tablet as a birthday gift when she turned two. Jason said he wrote the word “red” on the board, and Isla was able to read it back to him, even though she was about 4-5 years below the age when most children typically acquire that ability. He went on to write the words “blue,” “yellow,” “cat,” and “dog,” while Isla confidently read out each word. From there, the little girl’s parents began noticing words spelled out around the house with multi-colored toy letters. The letters C-H-A-I-R were left next to a chair and the letters S-O-F-A were arranged next to the couch. At one point, the family’s cat, Booger, was found lying next to the letters C-A-T. By then, they had seen enough and decided to have Isla undergo IQ testing. A psychologist who specializes in testing gifted children administered the test to Isla, who ultimately scored in the 99th percentile of intelligence for age on the Stanford-Binet IQ test. She was just 2½ at the time. Children ages 2-3 have an average IQ of 1-10, going up to 5-20 in the 4-5-year-old range. An IQ in the 99th percentile would be in the average range for someone 17-18 years old. In June 2022, Guinness formally recognized Isla as the world’s youngest female Mensa member. Today, Isla is three and is currently attending preschool. Her parents are also seeking an individual education plan for her to get an early start to kindergarten.
