What is a student portfolio?
A portfolio is an important tool for communicating not only about a child's learning. An assessment portfolio is a representation of what you are learning about each child's performance in selected domains. Through assessment portfolio, teachers are providing evidence to support your conclusions about the child's strengths, skills, and capabilities.
Teachers will be trained to Observe carefully and Document properly so that they may maintain an assessment portfolio for their students in selected domains (Language Arts/ Social-Emotional, Gross Motor Skills, Literacy/Writing and Mathematical Problem Solving). Student’s “typical” products, among which, writing samples, responses to reading experiences, mathematical problem/solving, creations that require mathematical understanding (patterning, geometrical creations), scientific explorations, self-reflections and/or art/drawing samples, etc will also be incorporated into the portfolio to assist in the assessment. Digital Portfolio may also be deployed and serve as a communication venue to record students’ progress and to communicate the progress with their families.
What to Save in a Portfolio?
1. A selection of observation notes tied to early learning indicators, IEP goals, and curricular expectations.
- Some observation notes may be brief, checklist kind of information.
- Some observation notes should be factual and detailed descriptions of what the child did and said.
2. Additional information to support the observation notes such as photos of the child demonstrating the goal, and work samples that show the child's performance.
3. The items in the portfolio should represent the child's typical work (not only the best or worst).
- However, you can always include some “shining moments” to show particular progress or unique ways the child is demonstrating his/her learning.
4. Collect these items at least twice a year so they can be compared to progress. Consider collecting the following portfolio items for preschool & kindergarten children.
Writing samples
- Responses to reading experiences
- Mathematical problem/solving
- Creations that require mathematical understanding (patterning, geometrical creations)
- Scientific explorations
- Self-reflections
- Art/Drawing samples
Communicating with Families (The goal is to summarize the child's performance)
- Where is the child successful?
- Where has progress been made?
- What are your plans for next steps?
5. Sharing portfolio items has the most meaning for families.
- They see their child in action –a window into their child's time with you in your program
- They connect developmental progress to what their child does in everyday routines, play, interactions and activities