The diploma is page 99, and your child earns it by working through the book's six chapters, from asking a question to sharing what they found. It is a frame with the words "Junior Researcher" inside, and the story line says, "This certifies that YOU are a researcher." Coloring it is the ceremony.
What "earning it" means
There is no test and no score. I made the diploma to mark something true: by page 99, your child has practiced every step of real research. They have asked a question in Chapter 1, looked things up, made a guess, planned a test, counted results, and told the story in Chapter 6.
If you skipped around or moved quickly, that's fine. What matters is that your child has seen the whole path at least once.
Making it feel special
A few ideas, pick whatever suits your family:
- Save it for last. Don't print or show page 99 until the rest is done, so it feels like a reward.
- Add their name. The frame is theirs to decorate. Help them write their name so it matches the name they wrote on the Title Page.
- Say it out loud. Something like, "You asked a question, you looked for answers, and you shared what you found. That's what researchers do."
- Hang it up. The fridge, a bedroom door, or a homeschool wall all work.
- Look back together. Flip through their colored pages, or page through Read the Book, and let them tell you their favorite part.
After the diploma
The book ends on page 100, the Back Cover. But a Junior Researcher keeps going. Invite your child to draw a new question in a fresh copy of the thought bubble on page 10 and start again. If you'd like something to celebrate with, Celebration Party on page 97 makes a nice pair with the diploma.