Portfolios (for preschool and pre-k) and journals (infants and toddlers) are collections of information, photographs and samples that demonstrate each child’s developmental progress. They are a celebration of each child’s unique abilities, achievements, and progress, displayed through authentic samples of their work and experiences. Each child has their own, and the content focuses on children’s individual interactions with their environment, materials, peers, and teachers.
Educators add material to portfolios and journals regularly, documenting observations and experiences, and use that information to create assessments of progress and development. At First Circle, portfolios and journals are kept in the classroom, and accessible to parents at all times. Sometimes, families take the journal/portfolio home to read, or to add in family experiences.