Mar 24 2010, 05:55 PM, updated 16y ago
At the age of only two, Beatrix Townsend might be expected to do little more than randomly bash the keyboard and stare blankly at the screen when in front of her mother's computer.
Instead, she can operate the mouse like a teenager while skilfully moving from one educational game to another, and carrying out a Google search is a doddle.
Now she has become one of the youngest ever members of Mensa, with an IQ of 136, putting her in the top 1 per cent of the population.
She was admitted after being tested by an educational psychologist in December when she was two years and six months old (too young to take the written IQ test).
Her love of reading, spelling and electronic games has put her well ahead at nursery school in Grimsby.
Her mother Zoe Townsend, 38, said it was clear when she was one that she was advanced for her age. She started stringing sentences together before most children can talk and her language was relatively advanced.
'If I asked her if she wanted a drink she would say "certainly" rather than "yes". She is inquisitve and constantly asks questions.'
Before her second birthday she could read all the letters of the alphabet. But it is her ability on the computer that stands out.
Her favourite game involves looking at pictures of objects and spelling them, but she is adept at following instructions and performing basic computer functions.
'We joke she will hack into the Pentagon one day,' said her mother, a trainee teacher whose husband Wesley is an accountant.
Despite her high IQ, Beatrix in other ways is a normal little girl. Her favourite book is The Gruffalo, her favourite character Angelina Ballerina and she loves nothing more than a cuddle from mum.
The youngest ever member of Mensa in the UK is Elise Tan-Roberts from London, admitted last year at two years and four months.
Daily Mail
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