Red Ink/Correcting school work

[KidsHappen]

I buy packs of pink, purple and teal gel pens and I use these for everything so that's what I used for corrections as well. When my kids got to high school level they corrected their own work.

[Alenee]

I voted red ink, however I use that so far only with my oldest dd. She's completely independent at this point and I can't get to her work immediately. Marking her work in red is helpful to us both.

 

With my two younger dds, I just correct with them sitting next to me and we work through whatever issues they have.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

 

If I use a red or other bright colored pen my children tend to fall apart and feel really discouraged. I prefer to HELP them correct the problem instead of marking up the page with check marks or circles.

 

 

I just picked this quote to have my say, it is not personal.

I honestly cannot see how red pens upset children. If a page is corrected in red pen and they got it all right, will the child still be upset to see all the bright red checks? A page should have more checks then x's therefore you are showing the child all he did right with just a few mistakes. I have always corrected this way...check all the correct and x(or circle) all the wrong. I also always write positive feed back in red, never negative.

[kewb]

I use red pen. Not because it builds character but because it is easy to spot on the page. Red check marks, red x, red circles, whatever I need to show where/what the issue is. My kids do not appear traumatized but I suppose I can add it to the running list of "Things my mom did wrong" that I am keeping for my kids to hand their therapist some day.

[AHASRADA]

I do usually use red pens, just because it is a good contrast to the child's writing. I could use another bright contrasting color, such as a gel pen, I suppose.

 

Perhaps if my kids had been to school and attached a stigma to red pen marks, I would avoid using it. However, they haven't been to school, and like seeing mom's bright, visible markings on their papers.

[MrsMe]

The whole thing about using a more friendly color than red ink is the dumbest thing I've ever encountered. The problem with the world is this train of thought. Just mark it with what you got. Happens to be a crayon, happens to be red? So what. I can't imagine who even made this up. Traumatized? Really? When it's wrong it's wrong. Stop being so darn politically correct and babying kids. Everyone is so intent on the self esteem issue in all the wrong places. As you can see, it's not working in the world. Sorry, but it's just dumb imo.

Edited July 29, 2011 by alilac

[Jean in Newcastle]

The whole thing about using a more friendly color than red ink is the dumbest thing I've ever encountered. The problem with the world is this train of thought. Just mark it with what you got. Happens to be a crayon, happens to be red? So what. I can't imagine who even made this up. Traumatized? Really? When it's wrong it's wrong. Stop being so darn politically correct and babying kids. Everyone is so intent on the self esteem issue in all the wrong places. As you can see, it's not working in the world. Sorry, but it's just dumb imo.

 

Get up on the wrong side of the bed?:confused:

[MrsMe]

Get up on the wrong side of the bed?:confused:

 

Perhaps, LOL! I just remember when it was all the rage that "red" and correcting mispellings hurt the child's self esteem. So in a nutshell, where did it get us today? It just hits a nerve with me. Not because of the original poster poll, just the marking in red vs esteem issue. Which of course brought up memories of this mess. :tongue_smilie:

[Sputterduck]

8 things that public school and homeschool have in common:

 

1. Children

2. Adults

3. Books and other educational materials

4. Writing Implements

5. Writing Surfaces

6. Clocks

7. Bathroom facilities

8. Lunchroom facilities

 

8 things about public school that can never be duplicated at home, no matter how many blackboards, desks, or red pens the parent purchases or utilizes:

 

1. Overcrowded classrooms

2. Detention for the bored

3. Compulsory gym class

4. Bullying

5. Peer pressure

6. Stupid fads

7. Stupider curriculum

8. A label for every student

 

8 things about homeschool that can never be duplicated at public school, no matter how loving and caring the teachers and administrators:

 

1. Individualized, interesting, and globally-competitive curriculum, no matter how poor the school district in which the family lives

2. One-on-one instruction in every class

3. Students being allowed to abandon provided desks and sprawl out on the couch with their books instead (or take them up a tree, or wherever)

4. Every student allowed to talk without raising his hand

5. Every student allowed to get a drink of water or use the bathroom as nature decrees and not by permission only

6. Time to pursue unique learning experiences, including travel, advanced sports, internships, farming, political or religious activities, and more, without having to choose between those pursuits and a good high school education

7. No permission required to hug, kiss, or wrestle with teacher or other students

8. Disciplinary measures fit the beliefs and methods of the family

 

So, really, the use of a red pen and a few desks and bookshelves at home does not signify anything at all! I can't make my home be like the school, and the school can't imitate homeschooling, either.

 

I love this post!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Perhaps, LOL! I just remember when it was all the rage that "red" and correcting mispellings hurt the child's self esteem. So in a nutshell, where did it get us today? It just hits a nerve with me. Not because of the original poster poll, just the marking in red vs esteem issue. Which of course brought up memories of this mess. :tongue_smilie:

 

Gotcha.

[Laurie4b]

Some years ago, there was some article out about teachers using purple pen instead of red to preserve kids' self esteem. I read it to my sons, who thought it was hilarious.

 

I chose the option--"whatever is close" because I think it helps to see clearly what you have to go back and correct if it's in a contrasting color--but any color will do.

 

Well, ever since the article, I have one son who deliberately chooses red and is dramatic about his self-esteem being wounded--totally tongue-in-cheek. He's 12 now.

 

I actually would be pretty close to being serious about red building character--but what I would mean is that it does no harm to see one's mistakes (there are of course kids with special needs, etc. for whom this might not apply) and in fact, does one good. Little "failures" build the wherewithall to handle future challenges. There is no life without failures. I don't want to protect my kids from them. Note: I don't consider getting something wrong any kind of big deal, but to the kid, it can be perceived as a small failure of some sort. That is okay with me.

[Plucky]

I use a regular pen. I use a highlighter to mark the most important issues for us to go over later.

[kchara]

I try to use a red pen, because of the contrast. They really notice it when it's in red. But, I've also been known to use whatever sharpie, highlighter, or crayon I find laying around. ;)

 

When I was a Teacher's Aide, the teacher in our school (small school) refused to use red. She kept saying that it hurt kids self esteem and such. She had plans on buying a bunch of green pens for me to grade with, but absolutely refused to let me use red pens to grade, so no grading got done for the entire first quarter. She kept forgetting the green pens. Seriously. Finally, the parents complained to the board, and the board made us grade the papers. In red ink. :D Far as I know, none of the kids went into therapy.

[Ester Maria]

The whole thing about using a more friendly color than red ink is the dumbest thing I've ever encountered. The problem with the world is this train of thought. Just mark it with what you got. Happens to be a crayon, happens to be red? So what. I can't imagine who even made this up. Traumatized? Really? When it's wrong it's wrong. Stop being so darn politically correct and babying kids. Everyone is so intent on the self esteem issue in all the wrong places. As you can see, it's not working in the world. Sorry, but it's just dumb imo.

Hello there, fraternal soul! :)

 

I do not raise children who are discouraged, let alone traumtized by a "wrong" ink color on their work or by being shown their mistakes. I actually do tend to use red ink because it is easy to stop and they often write in pen too so I need a color that contrasts theirs, and easily erasable crayons and pencils are problematic for transparency reasons - but seriously, I do not overthink the color or anything. Traumatized by the red color?! LOL.

 

I only mark incorrect answers too. The whole point is to have the assignment as transparent as possible, so it makes sense only to visibly mark mistakes so we can see what we did wrong and learn from it.

[4wildberrys]

When I was a school teacher, I stopped using red ink and started using purple. I wrote exactly the same things in purple as I had in red, but it looked a lot less like I had bled all over their papers.

 

The students argued with me much less when I used purple ink, and seemed to respond to the comments as helps rather than criticisms.

 

I don't know if it was because of the color itself or because it was different from what all the other teachers did. But there was a difference.

 

:iagree: One of the reasons I quit using red ink-----purple, green and orange seem nicer---especially when half the paper is covered with it sometimes -:tongue_smilie: (edited to add I was never worried about red causing self esteem damage though!)

[swimmermom3]

I ask the kids what they prefer. The artist is 18 and does not particularly care for red ink. The youngest's pragmatic take is, "A mistake is a mistake in any color."

[Joker]

The only time I don't use red ink is on my older dds writing assignments. She's such a perfectionist and puts so much time and energy into her writing assignments that I cannot bring myself to mark on them in any ink. I use pencil and/or just go over it orally. Neither dd seems to be bothered by the red circles on wrong problems and exercises.

[DesertDweller]

I used red ink to correct papers. I think it did traumatize my son. He hated it. Would get very upset to see red marks on his papers. I finally stopped. Now I just use whatever is handy.

[BatmansWife]

Honestly I use a pencil right along with them. We correct together.

 

If I use a red or other bright colored pen my children tend to fall apart and feel really discouraged. I prefer to HELP them correct the problem instead of marking up the page with check marks or circles.

 

I do on occasion use a marker or colored pencil and this is only to place a HUGE smiley face at the top of their page and they love this.

 

I never did like the red ink on my papers but I never thought of it as a terrible thing. I never put much thought into the idea of red pens. I just figured if I'm homeschooling my children and I'm sitting there with them anyway..I would catch them before the mistake was completely finished. OR if I don't catch it right away I will circle the problem with my pencil and we'll correct together. Then we can erase the lightly drawn circle I made around the number of the problem.

 

I however will say that the first time I used a red pen to mark the kids pages they expressed more tears than I would've liked and it's just ONE or TWO marks that I made. To me I'd rather just use the same tool they are. :) Just me though.

 

I too have a coupon that would give me red pens for pennies from Bic. Still I didn't purchase them, instead I used the coupon at another store that was B1G1 Free on Bic black and blue pens and paid just tax!

 

Wow...so many pages of replies. I only read the fist page and :iagree: with this. Except for the coupon part (I don't have coupons). :D

 

I voted "other" because pencil wasn't an option.