There’s a growing body of research showing that grades, which can become a game of extrinsic motivators, are actually detrimental to learning. But when officials at a school district in Chicago recently replaced what they believed was an outdated letter grading (A-F) system with more comprehensive “Progress Guides,” parents rebelled and demanded the school switch back. We’re not talking high school transcripts here—the letter grades were replaced only for kindergarten through six grade math, and science in seventh and eighth grade. Still, the backlash was so strong that the schools are considering reinstating the letter grades. You can read the story here.

I think what this district tried to do was both smart and enlightened, but I don’t completely fault the parents here. Letter grades are entrenched. Most of us were brought up with them, the colleges use them, and no parent needs a study guide to interpret the bottom-line achievement when they see a grade of A-F for their kid.

So parents, here’s an invitation—go deeper than the transcript. Report cards will reduce your student to grades. But you can value, discuss, and encourage real learning.

Ask your kids about their favorite subject. Let them tell you about their favorite teacher. Acknowledge their strengths before you race to correct perceived weaknesses. Encourage and feed their curiosity, inside and outside of the classroom. Praise effort over outcomes. And most importantly, make sure your kids know that you love them for who they are, not for their GPA.

The student who’s curious, unafraid of challenges, self-aware, and resilient may or may not get a 4.0. But they’ll likely fare well on life’s transcript.