I love incorporating a writing portfolio each year because it's one of the easiest ways to track their progress and having these work samples available also makes for great references during writing conferences (or even parent conferences). I remember when a student of mine was so discouraged and didn't think they were writing as well as their peers. But one look at their work and how it's progressed over the year gave them the confidence to keep going. Such a powerful moment!
Storing Portfolios
I have a black crate that I use with hanging file folders for each child and I just keep it tucked away in my classroom. There are so many different ways you can use to store your student's writing, but this has been a system that has worked for me. I've seen teachers use binders or folders...either way, just find a system that keeps your student's work organized and easy to access.
Monthly Self-Portraits
One of the skills that I love building in my students is their sense of self. I stock my classroom with skin-tone crayons and markers and we spend a lot of time at the beginning of the year discussing and drawing ourselves. I love using personal mirrors (used for phonics when learning how to make the correct mouth formations) so they can notice the different qualities about themselves - often for the first time!
We notice how we're alike and how we're different (Social Studies objective right there!), what our skin, hair, and face look like. We notice our hairstyles and eye color. We have discussions around these concepts and students are given plenty of practice to draw. We also discuss how we can draw using different shapes and lines. Curved lines for our faces, spirals for curly hair, lines for straight hair, and circles for eyes. With all of this foundation laying, students are ready to begin their self-portraits for their portfolios!
I heavily model how to draw a self-portrait at first. It takes quite a bit of scaffolding and practice for something so simple. Students first watch me as I bring their attention to different features about myself as I draw. Then, we add color - this is an awesome time to introduce those skin-toned crayons! Finally, they begin to write their names.
Each month students will continue this process all the way to the last month of school! You'll notice that they'll need less and less support as they get more comfortable drawing themselves. You'll also start to notice them applying these skills to other people in their stories during writing time - which is also very cool to see.
End-of-the-Year Gift
When it comes to the end of the school year I love presenting parents and families with their child's hard work. After our kindergarten graduation ceremony, parents return to our classroom where they're presented with their child's portfolio and other keepsakes.
Parents are always so excited and proud of their child's hard work because their portfolios give them a snapshot of where they started and where they're ending the year! Plus, as a teacher, this gift is completely FREE and very meaningful.
