Whiz Kid: Brooklyn Johnson

Cleveland Heights Whiz Kid of the Week: Brooklyn Johnson

• First-grader who reads at a fourth-grade level.
• Attends .
• Passionate about writing and dancing, and will tap dance in a school talent show Friday.

Brooklyn Johnson looked down as she answered questions. Short, quick responses followed each inquiry.

That is, until a book was in front of her. Reading makes 6-year-old Brooklyn come alive.

“She’s one of my top readers,” said Betty Miller, her teacher at Oxford Elementary School. “She’s reading at a fourth-grade level.”

Miller explained that the students are given tests periodically to see where they rank in terms of their reading, and Brooklyn consistently scores very high.

Once the subject turns to books, Brooklyn becomes a wealth of information. Her favorite books are the children's series about the character Junie B. Jones.

“It’s about a girl who does a lot of funny things and she has a little baby brother, and she pretends she’s the boss of lunch,” Brooklyn explained.

Writing has also become one of her passions. Students write in journals throughout the year in Miller’s class, and it’s an activity Brooklyn said she looks forward to.

“You can make things funny when you write,” she said.

She credits her grandmother, who she said raises her, for helping her become such a proficient reader. She still remembers her grandmother reading Winnie the Pooh books to her when she was younger.

Her reading prowess has benefited her classmates. She often helps students struggling with their reading by a process called “chunking it out,” which means sounding out the words.

“I think she’s a special little student,” Miller said. “She’s so warm and so caring toward the other students. She has a lot of self-confidence, and she’s always willing to help others.”

Brooklyn also plays soccer, swims and takes tap dance and ballet lessons. On Friday she’ll perform tap in a school talent show that students had to audition for. Miller said only 21 acts out of 100 students were selected.

Do you know a Whiz Kid? Send your nominations to Cleveland Heights Patch editor Michelle Simakis.