No matter what education or career background we as parents have, it is possible for us to raise our kids as young scientists. We've actually been exposed to the steps of the scientific method from an early age ourselves. By learning to identify this process in our lives, and helping our kids to engage in the scientific method in their own experiences, we can empower and encourage their ability to solve problems and make discoveries.

From a child's youngest years, they are asked by adults: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Answers typically include professional athletes, firefighters, astronauts, and doctors, sprinkled with more imaginative outliers like princesses and unicorns.

Third grade is one of the most crucial developmental periods of the elementary years and perhaps a child's entire formal schooling. It stands apart as a year of pivotal transition and change in a child's education. It is the foundation for the rest of a student's life: what a student learns in third grade will be built upon for years to come, not only in academics, but also in life.