10 Work Samples and Portfolios

Work Samples

Educators have been collecting pieces of children’s artwork and posting them on the classroom walls forever. Children enjoy seeing their work of art on display, and parents appreciate seeing their child’s work as well! To create an official work sample, however, takes more effort than hanging art on the wall.

What exactly is a work sample? A work sample is a tangible piece of evidence that showcases a child’s effort, progress and achievement. More specifically, not only does a work sample highlight the final product, but it can also highlight the process by capturing the child’s problem-solving efforts, experimentation methods, or collaboration skills. Work samples are authentic artifacts that provide information about the child’s learning experience, for example, a child’s drawing, a note they wrote, a completed painting, series of pictures.

Collecting your Data

Work samples can be gathered on an ongoing basis. Typically, you would collect a variety of samples that highlight the child’s overall development in each of the developmental domains (Physical, Cognitive, Language, Social, and Emotional). For example, you might include a child’s drawing or painting, a writing sample from their journal, a cutting sample, or photographs of the child engaged in activities such as building a block tower or sandcastle or riding a bike.

Organizing your Data

Whether you post a work sample on the classroom wall (using a documentation panel) or collect a sample for a child’s portfolio, you must add documentation that will help families recognize the value of play and reinforce the concept that every activity is an opportunity to learn. This information is also helpful for you to look back on.

For accuracy, be sure to include the following information:

• Child’s Name
• Date and time
• Setting
• An anecdotal note with a description about how and why the sample was collected
• Recorder Name- who has made the documentation?

Work samples should be organized in a chronological manner to showcase progress over time. Be sure to store work samples in a safe place like a file-folder or portfolio or electronically in a computer file.

Advantages

Here are some advantages of using work samples:

• Provide tangible/ visible evidence that educators can use to track a child’s learning, growth and development over time
• Provide authentic documentation which is ideal for assessment
• Educators can use information to plan and adjust curriculum to help children achieve their learning goals
• Families can see how children learn through play
• Children can share their insights as to how they created the work sample and offer their perspectives as to what they were thinking (authentic evidence)
• Parents enjoy seeing the work on display
• Children enjoy seeing their work on display and they can feel empowered when their work is valued

Disadvantages

Some drawbacks of work samples include:

• Can be time consuming to add anecdotal documentation and create documentation boards (if that’s how you choose to display the samples; this is a method we will explore in an upcoming chapter)
• Require ample physical storage space and electronic cloud storage and security
• Can require a financial investment in technology (camera, printer, video, iPad, app)
• Concerns over confidentiality and privacy when using identifiable photos or videos

Portfolios

Another popular form of documentation is portfolios. Many programs use a portfolio system to record and store information about each child’s learning, growth, and development. Intentional educators collect numerous work samples, anecdotal records, and other types of documentation on an ongoing basis, and it is necessary to safely store everything in an organized manner. A portfolio is the optimal way to do that. A portfolio helps educators store observation notes, pieces of art, and photos that are needed to capture and highlight a child’s individual strengths, interests and abilities. Portfolios can also store information about a child’s thought process, behaviour, social interactions, and needs.

Portfolios help educators record and track a child’s development. More specifically, a portfolio tells the unique story of each child’s individual progress over time. Although portfolios are not designed to be an assessment tool, portfolios can be shared with families during a conference to showcase evidence of a child’s learning. Portfolios hold authentic samples and highlight a child’s capabilities, achievements, and progress. During a conference, rather than receiving a handout with checked boxes that rate a child’s level of learning, parents and family members will enjoy seeing first-hand what their child “can do.”

Since learning and development are ongoing, portfolios have to be easy to use and accessible. Educators will have to find a rhythm and medium that works best for their teaching style. Here are just a few examples of some portfolios:

• Electronic or e-portfolios
• File folders
• Three-ring binders
• Creative memory photo albums
• Accordion files

Photo by Anete Lusina: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-opening-blue-briefcase-with-documents-4792284/

No matter which style of portfolio an educator uses, it is important to label and date all pieces of evidence that you put into your portfolio.

Advantages

The advantages of using portfolios are the same as those that apply to work samples, but there are some additional ones:

• Educators can quickly place documentation or children’s work samples in their folder
• Can include different types of documentation that reflects the child more holistically
• Can be shared with other educators when the child is changing programs to facilitate the transition

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of using portfolios are the same as those that apply to work samples, but an additional one is that if the portfolio is electronic, it can be time-consuming to add/upload items.

We will explore portfolios in more detail in an upcoming chapter.