When Bella Davis picked up her phone to record a short learning session with her daughter, she didn’t expect the clip to go viral. But when three-year-old Posie began answering math questions meant for much older children, millions of viewers were left stunned.
In the video, posted to Instagram, Posie stands in her pink dress, smiling as her mom asks her simple addition problems. “What’s two plus two?” Bella asks. Without hesitation, Posie raises four tiny fingers. “Three plus two?” “Five plus five?” Each time, the toddler counts carefully and answers correctly — her confidence and joy lighting up the screen.
Within days, the clip spread across social media like wildfire, amassing over 830,000 views and thousands of comments from astonished parents and educators.
“She’s not like most three-year-olds,” reads the text overlay in the video — and viewers couldn’t agree more.
A Child Beyond Her Years
Bella, 21, told Newsweek that her daughter’s brilliance started showing at an unusually early age. “She said her first ‘hi’ and ‘hello’ at just two months old,” Bella revealed. “We thought it was just baby babble at first, but she kept repeating it, almost like she knew what she was saying.”
As Posie grew, her intelligence became impossible to ignore. By her first birthday, she could already identify letters, numbers, and even a few short words. “We’d get her word books and flashcards, and that very night she’d be reading words off them,” Bella said. “From there, it just snowballed. She picks things up instantly.”
Parenting expert Dr. Ana Aznar, founder of REC Parenting, weighed in after seeing the viral video. “The girl in this video is showing skills not typical of a 3-year-old,” she told Newsweek. “Most children her age are just starting to count small groups of objects or recognize basic numbers. Posie’s mathematical ability is significantly advanced.”
According to Reach Out and Read, Inc., children between ages three and four typically develop early number sense — learning to count up to five or ten and match numbers to objects. But solving arithmetic equations at this stage is highly unusual.
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A Gifted Child — But Still a Child
Despite her daughter’s remarkable skills, Bella insists that she’s still very much a normal kid. “It can be hard to keep up with her academically,” she admitted. “Usually when we buy her a new book or learning activity, she finishes it in a single day. But after that, she wants to play dress-up, paint, or chase her sister around the house. She’s just a happy, curious little girl.”
Bella describes Posie as a “sweetheart with an imagination that never stops.” Whether she’s pretending to be a teacher or building towers with blocks, she finds joy in everything. “She loves to learn — but she also loves to be silly,” Bella said with a smile.
Early Reading and a Mystery
By age one, Posie was reading words most toddlers couldn’t recognize. At first, Bella and her partner thought she might have hyperlexia, a condition where a child learns to read unusually early and has advanced decoding skills, but may not fully understand what they’re reading. Hyperlexia sometimes appears in children on the autism spectrum, accompanied by a deep fascination with letters and numbers.
But in Posie’s case, that wasn’t the story. “We realized her comprehension was just as advanced,” Bella explained. “She could sound out new words she’d never seen before, and she understood what they meant.”
That’s when her parents knew they weren’t just witnessing early reading — they were seeing genuine giftedness.
Learning Without Pressure
Now three, Posie’s learning routine is intentionally light and playful. “We spend about 20 minutes to an hour each day doing structured activities,” Bella said. “But most of her learning happens naturally — through play, conversation, or things she sees on TV. She’s constantly absorbing.”
Bella and her husband have decided to homeschool her for now. “We follow her lead,” she explained. “She’s still so young, and I don’t want to turn learning into something stressful. She learns best when it’s fun — when she feels like she’s discovering the world at her own pace.”
Dr. Aznar agrees. “It’s wonderful that she enjoys learning,” she said. “But it’s important for parents to remember that early achievement isn’t a race. Developmental milestones are guidelines, not competitions.”
She adds, “If your child isn’t adding at age three, that’s perfectly normal. Children develop in different areas at different times — emotionally, socially, and cognitively. What matters most is that they feel loved, supported, and curious about the world.”
Parenting a Prodigy
Raising a gifted child comes with its own set of challenges. “Sometimes I feel like I’m constantly trying to keep up,” Bella admitted. “She moves through material so quickly that I have to find new things to keep her stimulated.”
The family often experiments with creative ways to nurture Posie’s curiosity — from nature walks where she counts rocks and leaves, to interactive games that mix reading and problem-solving.
“It’s all about balance,” Bella said. “I want her to stay excited about learning but also know that it’s okay to make mistakes. She doesn’t have to be perfect — she just has to be happy.”
Internet Reactions: “A Real-Life Matilda”
The viral video has drawn comparisons to one of pop culture’s favorite prodigies: Matilda. “Real-life Matilda!” one commenter wrote. Another user called Posie “a little genius,” while many praised Bella’s calm, encouraging parenting style.
“Super smart! Good job mama!” one viewer commented. Others said watching Posie restored their faith in how capable and curious young children can be when nurtured with patience and love.
The clip, which also includes older footage of Posie reading at just 16 months old, has accumulated over 34,000 likes and hundreds of supportive messages from around the world.
But Bella isn’t letting the attention go to her head. “We’re just grateful people are seeing how special she is,” she said. “Every child has something unique about them — Posie’s gift just happens to shine through in learning.”
The Bigger Picture
Experts say viral moments like this can sometimes set unrealistic expectations for parents — but they can also inspire. “The takeaway here isn’t that your child needs to solve math problems at three,” Dr. Aznar emphasized. “It’s that curiosity and encouragement at home make a huge difference. Every child benefits from being read to, talked to, and engaged with.”
Bella hopes her daughter’s story encourages other parents to see learning as an adventure, not a checklist. “It’s amazing watching her mind grow,” she said. “But what’s even better is seeing how much joy she gets from discovering things. That’s what I want to hold onto.”
For Bella, every day is a new surprise — and every milestone, no matter how small, feels monumental. “She teaches me as much as I teach her,” she said. “She’s reminded me how exciting the world can be when you’re seeing it for the first time.”
