Academic Portfolios

I have been busy, busy the past two weeks putting together my children's academic portfolios for the 2008-2009 school year. While they did take the Iowa Tests this year, I prefer to turn in the same type of review to my local school board every year so I always do a portfolio review with a certified teacher. I love doing academic portfolios for several reasons:

• Putting together the portfolios gives me a chance to reflect on all of the learning and all of the projects that took place in our homeschool over the year. I never fail to be amazed at all we have accomplished!


• On the flip side, putting together the portfolios also allows me to see any academic areas in which we should be doing more work. For example, since the children didn't take outside art classes this year and I didn't use an art curriculum, we didn't do as many art projects as I would have liked. We did some art projects and the children all create art on their own but I would have liked to have had more structured art projects.


• The finished academic portfolios are a fabulous record and keepsake of the school year for each child. Having a deadline forces me to actually get the portfolios done! Don't even ask about unfinished scrapbooks!


• Putting together the portfolios gives me an opportunity to truly consider changes I would like to make in our homeschool for the next school year. Do I want them to be doing more writing? More art projects? More history?

Putting together the academic portfolios actually begins at the very start of the school year. There are several tasks that I do throughout the year that really help with keeping school papers organized for the portfolios.

• I keep a running list on our computer of books, field trips, and educational videos that we have read, attended, and watched during the school year.


• Each of my children also has a reading record on which we keep track of all of the books each of them has read.


• I also try to take pictures of all art projects completed for school projects. After loading them onto my computer, I load them to Shutterfly in a special album named "Art Projects, School Year 20-- to 20--)." Then when I'm ready to put together the portfolios, I can print the pictures I want and pick them up at Target all at once.

In addition to those records, I have a specific area where I put all of the "portfolio-worthy" papers during the course of the year. Here are some examples of items that I put in the "portfolio-worthy" pile:

• Math-U-See completed test booklets
• brochures, maps, and ticket stubs from educational field trips
• certificates of completion for swimming lessons
• copies of awards from swim team
• copies of completed essays
• completed handwriting booklets
• tables of contents from curriculum texts
• tests from English

About a month before my scheduled portfolio review, I start working on the portfolios so that I can compile them without feeling stressed and rushed. I work on each portfolio one section at a time. Each child's portfolio is compiled into a one inch three ring binder. I use the binders that allow you to slide a piece of paper in the clear front pocket to make a cover for the binder. I make the portfolio covers on PrintMaster with cute school-themed borders. On the front is written:

• Academic Portfolio
• Child's Name
• Child's Grade Level
• Academic Years for the Portfolio (2008-2009)

I divide the portfolio into sections. Here are the sections that I use for my children's portfolios:

• Mathematics
• Language Arts
• Science
• History and Geography
• Physical Education

In years past I have had a Fine Arts section but since most of our art projects were completed within the context of History studies, I included information about them in that section. I also made a little photo album of each child's art projects from the year and tucked that into the front inner pocket of the portfolio binder.

In the remainder of this post, I will describe what I included in each section of my 6th grade daughter's academic portfolio. I put the dividers for each section in sheet protectors. I make the dividers for each section on PrintMaster.


Mathematics

• one page describing the curriculum that she used for the school year
• table of contents from Teaching Textbooks 7
• printed gradebook from Teaching Textbooks 7
• timed multiplication facts tests

Language Arts

• description of the curriculum that she used for the school year, the assigned books that were read, and information about the amount of independent reading that she completed
• a complete list of read-aloud books that I read to the children over the course of the year that do not relate to a science or history unit study
• list of books read aloud to the children during the Cinderella Stories Around the World unit study and the curriculum used in that unit study
• description of the play we went to see as part of the Cinderella unit
• a copy of the fractured fairy tale that she wrote
• table of contents from Growing With Grammar 6
• chapter review tests from Growing With Grammar 6
• reading charts

Science

• description of all of the field trips we took that relate to science study
• a picture of the "Jitterbug" robot she made at the Great Lakes Science Center and a description
• list of science videos watched that do not relate to a specific unit study
• complete list of curriculum, books read, and videos watched during the Animal Classification study
• complete list of curriculum, books read, and videos watched during the Germs study
• complete list of curriculum, books read, and videos watched during the Light study
• complete list of curriculum, books read, and videos watched during the Lizards study
• description of the Tops Analysis unit that was completed

***I also included A's Lizard and Germ lapbooks for the certified teacher to see. The lapbooks do not stay with the portfolio, though. After the review, they go back to the schoolroom where each child has their own box for lapbooks.

History and Geography

• complete list of curriculum, books read, and videos watched during the Middle Ages Unit Study
• detailed information about our big field trip to the Renaissance Faire
• information about the curriculum we are using for our United States study
• States and capitals test

***I also included A's United States notebook for the certified teacher to see.

Physical Education

• practice schedule for A's participation in the summer recreational swim league
• practice schedule for A's participation on a USA swim team during the Short Course Season
• complete results including times and placements for all of the swim meets in which A participated in both the summer recreational league and the USA Swimming Short Course Season
• information about special awards A received during the Short Course Season (MVP for her age group, selection for Team Ohio, final results of Gold Championships)

Misc.

• Performance Profile for the Iowa Tests (A was tested this year so I put the results at the back of the portfolio)
• brochure about the 2009 student days program at the Ohio Renaissance Festival
• program from "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters"
• heat sheet from the 2009 Mid-States Quadrangular Championships
• completed handwriting booklet (I use Happy Scribe Copybooks for A)

Putting together the children's portfolios is a lot of work but the results are definitely more than worth the effort!