Here's something to think about: when you "make sure everything's correct" on your child's homework, you might be doing more harm than good.

The Real Purpose of First Grade Homework

Let's say your child writes a number backwards. What do you do? If you just fix it without talking to her, you've created a problem. Now her teacher thinks she's got it down. But she doesn't.

First grade isn't about perfect papers. It's about learning the basics. And here's the thing - mistakes are part of that learning.

What Happens When You Hide the Mistakes

When you correct everything before it goes back to school, two people miss out:

• Your child doesn't know she needs to work on something

• The teacher can't see what needs more practice

That backwards seven? It might keep showing up in second grade, third grade, and beyond. All because no one knew it was an issue.

The Right Way to Help

Now, this doesn't mean you can't look at homework together. The key is how you do it.

If your child asks you to check her work, great! Just make sure you're talking through any problems. Don't just erase and fix. Ask questions. Let her figure it out.

Why Teachers Need to See the Mistakes

Here's another angle: maybe your kid isn't the only one writing sevens backwards. If the teacher sees this pattern across the class, she knows to spend more time on it. But if all the parents are fixing these mistakes at home? The teacher never finds out.

Bottom line: let your kid turn in work that shows what she actually knows. That's how real learning happens.