A child sits at his desk wai ting fo r the teacher to hand back his test and praying that it is not sprayed with red marks.Fellow students in the classroom know a paper that has several red markings on it will usually receive a lower grade. The child with many red markings on his test will quickly fold the paper and stuff it into his desk in the hope that no one saw his test.

There is an education movement to retire the reds for the softer colors of purple, green, and blue pens to mark students' work. Many educators understand the psychological harm the constant red markings on the paper do to a child's self­esteem. After a child receives his test back with countless red markings there is a rare chance he will bother to find out his errors. It is too embarrassing in the classroom to examine his errors and also many children do not want to show their parents their red stained test.

The purpose of grading a paper or test is to identify the child's weakness and offer suggestions to improve their ability in a specific subject. Red markings are too bold for the students to calmly understand their errors; instead they become agitated(ÆøÄÕµÄ) and begin their self­critical dialogue. No student wants to fail; they just do not know how to excel.