← The printable library

Kiwi Compass

The printable library · file seven of ten

Keep enough to show growth, not every worksheet

Ten items per course. A portfolio that contains everything shows nothing, because nobody — including you — will ever read it.

Student

Course

Year

Item In the file Date Where it lives
Beginning sample
Mid-course sample
Final sample
Assessment summary
Project or lab
Reading and source list
Course description
Attendance or instruction record, if required
Reflection
Backup copy

The three samples are the whole argument. Beginning, middle and end of the same kind of task, in the child’s own handwriting, is the clearest evidence of growth anybody can produce — clearer than a grade, and considerably clearer than a folder of ninety worksheets. Choose them deliberately at the time rather than hunting for them later.

The reflection

Two lines from the student

In their words, not yours. Ask at the end of the course: what got easier, and what is still hard? Write it down verbatim, including the shrug.

Portfolio requirements are local. Some jurisdictions require a portfolio, specify what goes in it, or require review by a named person on a schedule. Others require nothing at all. Check what yours asks for before deciding this list is sufficient — or more than you need.