Developmental Portfolios

Phoenix Children’s Academy is proud of the fact that every child attending one of our schools has his progress documented in a Developmental Portfolio. Just what is a Developmental Portfolio?

  • A tool for collecting and showing a child’s growth and achievement over time
  • A resume of childhood
  • An excellent way to record milestones reached, skills developed and all of the fun that a child has while attending one of our programs.

Beginning in our infant programs and continuing on through preschool graduation, our staff thoughtfully documents through words and photographs each child’s progress and achievements. These portfolios are always available for parents to peruse because they are prominently displayed in each of our classrooms. As a child transitions from one classroom to another, the Portfolio graduates with him, thus giving his new teacher a record of his progress thus far. When a child graduates from preschool, the Portfolio is sent home, thereby giving his family a permanent and very individualized account of his years from birth to five years.

What goes into a Developmental Portfolio?

  • Work samples such as art work, writing samples and the like
  • Photographs of the things children have made, activities they have been involved in, milestones they have reached. A thorough written description accompanies each photo.
  • Oral accounts of a child’s verbal recall of special activities and events that have been recorded word-for-word by the teacher.
  • Milestone checklists and photographs documenting progress in all developmental areas: cognitive, social, emotional and physical.

Each child should have the following in their portfolio:

  • Cover page: Title, picture of the child and company logo.
  • My First Day: include when the child started, how old she was, what room she was in and who her teachers were. You might also note something special about the child’s personality.
  • My New Classroom: include photo of the child as he transitions from one classroom to the next. Can include the child with his friends, his teachers or in his favorite area of her new classroom.
  • What I Know: include a photo of the child demonstrating an learned skill or a special attribute. Consider including:
  • Stringing beads
  • Hand writing
  • Walking
  • Feeding self
  • Stacking blocks
  • Sorting shapes or other manipulatives
  • My Social Life: document friendships or special social skills that are developing.
  • My World: include a picture of the child with his friends or family at a special school event including parent functions, in-house or out-of-school field trips, etc.
  • I am Growing Up: include a picture of the child succeeding with a new developmental milestone such as:
  • Waving bye-bye
  • Dressing self
  • Writing
  • Taking early steps
  • Jumping rope
  • Riding a trike
  • Mathematics: include a picture of the child involved in some sort of math activity: sorting, classifying, graphing
  • Language Arts: write something word-for-word that a child said while using their imagination or take a picture of them doing some sort of language art activity such as puppets, reading stories, etc.
  • I am an Artist: include both pictures of the child doing art and an art project that they completed. Note: include only open-ended activities and not craft projects or those done following an adult model.
  • I’m so Funny: include something that the child said or did that made you or the other children laugh or a picture of the child making a funny face.
  • Science: take a picture of the child involved in some sort of science activity, cooking project or experiment. Consider photographing the child experiencing nature outdoors (finding an insect, playing with leaves, etc.)
  • Self Help (I Can Do It Myself): include picture and notation of the date that the child has mastered a skill he has been working on
  • Standing unassisted
  • Putting away toys
  • Pouring own milk
  • Serving her own lunch
  • Putting on own coat or sweater
  • Tying own shoes
  • Exploring the Great Outdoors: should include picture of the child involved in some sort of outdoor activity which is helping to develop a specific skill.
  • I Can Do It Myself: include picture and notation of the date that the child has mastered a skill he has been working on
  • Pouring their own milk
  • Serving themselves
  • Dressing themselves
  • Tying their shoes
  • My Own Work: include a sample of something the child has written or drawn. May also include a photograph of something the child has built, constructed or designed.
  • The Great Outdoors: include activities and events that occur on the playground or other outdoor areas.
  • My Big Muscles: include any large motor skill or activity.

Recommendations for Developmental Portfolios:

  • Type words into document
  • Scan photos into document whenever possible
  • Always check for spelling, grammar and professionalism
  • Avoid the “scrap book” approach. Include written documentation along with the photos.
  • Include personal things when writing about the child: special skills, personality traits, humorous antidotes
  • Every child must have at least one page completed every month. Although it is strongly suggested that you follow the monthly schedule, you may go out of sequence in order to document a specific skill, activity or event.