Get Set for School

Portfolios
A portfolio is a purposeful collection of an individual childs work over time. You carefully select work that shows what the child knows and can do. The child can assist you in choosing work that he or she is proud to share. There are numerous ways that portfolios can take shape. There is no wrong way to do a portfolio as long as it celebrates the childs work. It is important for those who view a portfolio to have enough information to be able to interpret the childs growth and learning. Each piece of information added to the portfolio should help share the story of the childs progress throughout the year. A date stamp is a wonderful tool to have handy since you will probably be creating portfolios for a lot of children. This way you can stamp the date on items you collect and quickly file them away.

What can I collect?

Your school or center probably has expectations regarding what a child should know and be able to do at a particular age. Report cards, checklists, assessments, and standards will give you an idea of what is important to your school or center. Use these as guidelines to help decide what information should be included in the portfolio. Consider having the child help choose work for the portfolio so that he or she feels a sense of ownership and pride in the process. Keep each childs portfolio organized by storing collected items in a folder, binder, file box, assigned drawer, or other appropriate container. O  bservations: Watch children as they progress through an activity. What do they say? How do they move? What do they try? How do they solve problems? Jot your observations on a sticky note, index card, or notepad to add to the childs portfolio. Be sure to include the date of the observation. W  ork Samples: Children create work throughout the day. Small paper items may be placed directly in the portfolio. Other items will need to be photographed. Create a label for any item you add to the portfolio explaining how the work was created, when it was created, and why it is important. Below are examples of work products to collect: Drawings, paintings, coloring samples Attempts to write their name Anecdotal and/or conversational notes Photographs of the child at the beginning and end of the year Checklists or record sheets from assessments F  amily feedback (childs likes/dislikes, favorite foods, toys, books, etc.) Photographs of special crafts or art projects A  udio/Video: Audio and/or video recordings are excellent ways to capture a childs work throughout the year for teachers who are comfortable with technology. Audio and video recordings can document language, musical, conversational, and physical skills. Ensure your school has permission from families before photographing or videotaping children.

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When should I collect?

Collect information throughout the day and year. You want to show the childs abilities in different situations. Document work in circle time, centers, on the playground, and at meals. This allows you to give a more holistic picture of the child, including cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. Collecting throughout the year allows you to demonstrate and document the childs progress over time.

How should I use portfolios?

Use portfolios to celebrate the childs work, track concerns, and share progress with parents, administrators, and kindergarten teachers. Parents love to see their childs collective work, read their stories, and look at their photos. You can use childrens portfolios to reflect on your teaching and plan future learning experiences. Reviewing this information will help you understand how childrens knowledge develops. This will help you to become a more informed teacher. Families always want to know how their child is doing. Sharing portfolios with families can help connect school activities to the home and help involve families in their childrens education. Since portfolio development is an ongoing process, the childs progress can be shared at any time. Share your interpretation of the childs work and listen to the familys feedback. You can also spark discussions with colleagues using work from childrens portfolios. Listen to colleagues interpretations of a childs work and discuss ways to help the child expand their learning.

How can I learn more?

There are many great resources for learning more about creating and interpreting portfolios. We found the following to be informative and approachable. Cox, Karen. 1999. PreKinders: Resources for Pre-K Teachers. http://prekinders.com/student-portfolios/ Harris Helm, J., S. Beneke, and K. Steinheimer. 2007. Windows on Learning: Documenting Young Childrens Work, 2nd Ed. New York: Teachers College Press. Huffman, Pricilla. 2007. Look What I Did! Why Portfolio-Based Assessment Works. Early Childhood News. http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=495 McAfee, O., D.J. Leong, and E. Bodrova. 2004. Basics of Assessment: A Primer for Early Childhood Educators. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

getsetforschool.com/assessments

2012 Get Set for School