11-Month-Old Stuns Mom with Full Sentence: "Read a Book, Please!"

In May 2023, Sheena Boggs' 11-month-old daughter Ellie became an internet sensation when a video of her speaking a full sentence went viral. In the clip, Ellie can be seen walking across the room to her mom, who is off-camera, and asking, "Read a book, please!" Sheena, who works as a writer and reporter for PEOPLE, was not entirely surprised by her daughter's advanced communication skills.

Ellie had started saying a few words around 9 or 10 months old, around the same time she began walking. Sheena explains that her daughter has "always had such a strong voice for what she wants" and has been "very expressive and eager to communicate" from a young age. Even before she could talk, Ellie was using sign language to ask for things like "more," "please," and "all done."

Now 6 years old and homeschooled, Ellie continues to impress her parents with her intellectual abilities. She learned her letters and sounds before age 3 and reads above her grade level, but Sheena is quick to note that Ellie is also a "very normal, playful kid" who loves crafts, make-believe, and spending time with her younger brother.