Creating Portfolios for Preschool Assessment

PURPOSE OF PORTFOLIOS

Highlight each student’s accomplishments during the school year by compiling into a portfolio a sampling of each child’s artwork, writing, drawing and pictures, as well as providing an end of the year Progress Report and Diploma
• Where: All portfolios will be stored in your classroom
• When: Portfolios can be assembled at any time during the school year but should be finished by the last day

HOW TO CREATE PRESCHOOL PORTFOLIOS

Do these projects at beginning –and- end of school year:
• Self Portrait
• Name Writing Sample
• More comparison projects if desired

During the school year:
• Display each child’s artwork on the wall if space allows
• Change artwork monthly; store in portfolio boxes each month
• Three times a year, sort and file artwork in portfolio (Dec./late April/May)
Sort by class, then by child, then by date

• Make the stack flat on the bottom and left side (portfolios will be stood up so make sure any tall papers like construction paper have the excess on the top of the portfolio not the bottom)
• 3-hole punch using the bottom edge as your guide (not the top edge); insert into portfolio

Order the Portfolio as Follows:
• First Page: Student of the Week (search on the internet for printable “Student of the Week printable” papers; print one out for each child based on the style you like that year; you can either give to each child who is a snack helper during the year or you can give them all out at the end of the year and request them back before school is out)
• 15-20 Papers (Ordered from beginning of year to end)

• Self Portrait
• Name Writing Sample
• Family Portrait
• Drawing with Journaling Samples
• Other Papers/Art/Pictures/Anecdotal Notes

• Protector: Diploma and Folded Progress Report Card

• Diploma goes first, then progress report card on top of the diploma so you can see both through the page protector
• NOTE: You can search on the internet for “Preschool Diploma Printable”; print one out for each child based on the style you like that year and fill it in)

Variables:
• If you have a child in your T_TH class this is also in another MWF class, combine all the artwork into just one portfolio (i.e. 5-day students only get one portfolio)
• If a student withdraws from school during the school year, and you already have their papers sorted, feel free to hand them their papers on their last day; keep the portfolio for the next child (write the new child’s name on the portfolio sticker and you can place a new sticker on before graduation)
• If you have a new student with only a few papers, save all their art in May or even do 1-1 projects so they have about 10 papers
• If you have an extra large paper, fold it to size (but not completely in half; you still want to have about a 1” border where it isn’t folded), then punch
• If you have pictures from the “Student of the Week” poster that weren’t sent home, put them in the sheet protector