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Reflective portfolios

Childhood Education, Summer 2000 by Smith, Amy F

Elizabeth, Jenny, and Jonathan sort through photos, drawings, paintings, and writings, each looking for just the right piece to bring to a portfolio sharing session. They relish the photographs of themselves engaged in activities ranging from field trips to wearing silly hats at dramatic play. As they shuffle through their portfolios, they talk about the good times they had and express delight and surprise at what they find.

Jonathan: Remember when we went to the horse barn? Elizabeth: Yeah, when we got to the place where there were cows, one licked me and got my whole shirt wet! Jonathan: And it smelled really bad there, too. Jenny: I wish we could have rided the horses. Elizabeth: Remember when we did this acorn counting? Jonathan: I had to glue my acorns on a lot of times. They keep falling off . . .

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Listening to these children was like listening to old-timers reminiscing about the "good old days." The students were invested personally in their portfolios, choosing what would go in them; Jenny, for example, often explained that she selected an artifact because "I don't want to lose it." As we discussed the portfolio as a place to keep things, Jenny added, "Yes, you can always look and see your drawings and stuff. Then you know what you can do."

Six months ago, I did not expect to hear preschoolers holding conversations about their accomplishments, nor did I expect to hear them discuss growth, plans, and goals. I was surprised to see such young children take charge of their own evaluations.

Review of Literature

A review of the literature about portfolios identifies reflection as the critical factor. Contemporary research describes portfolios as authentic, collaborative, ongoing, multidimensional, evaluative tools in which reflection on the artifacts (contents) is central (Graves, 1994; Rief, 1990; Valencia, McGinley, & Pearson,1990; Wolf,1989). Zessoules and Gardner (1991) define reflection as a "commitment to the habit of looking back to forge ahead." Since reflection involves looking forward, I wondered whether this crucial element of reflection was possible and, if so, how it is manifested in the preschool child. In teachers' lounges, hallways, classrooms, and universities where portfolios are discussed, we often hear, "Portfolios are a great idea, especially for older students, but young children aren't capable of meaningful reflective response. The portfolios take too much time." Now, I wonder whether we have underestimated young children.

The Pizza Box Portfolio

In the fall of 1996, my preschool daughter, Elizabeth, chattered excitedly all the way home in the car about the portfolio she had decorated in school that day. She had painted a pizza box her teacher had obtained from a local restaurant. Elizabeth told me she would use her portfolio to hold "special stuff," which would show what she was learning. While Elizabeth enthusiastically embraced the idea of collecting her work, I wondered whether this collection would simply be a box of stuff, rather than a reflective learning tool. Would the portfolio provide a place for her to reflect? Would reflecting on and talking about her portfolio open up the range of possibilities she might choose for her learning? What was the nature of a preschool child's reflection?

With all these questions in mind, I began to interview Elizabeth about her portfolio every few weeks. As my interest developed, I expanded my study to include Elizabeth's teacher, other children in her class, and the children's parents. What I found is the focus of this article. My primary goal was to discover what preschoolers say and do when they reflect on their portfolios.

My Researcher Role

Stacey Jordan, the preschool teacher, invited each child in the multiage preschool to create his/her own portfolio, and during October, November, and December 19961 interviewed and observed Elizabeth as she talked about hers. Beginning in January 1997, I observed in the preschool one day each week-interviewing the other preschoolers about their portfolios, observing the teacher interacting and conferring with students, and facilitating small-group portfolio sharing sessions. One child dubbed me the "pizza box mom," and the children often greeted me with the question, "So you want to see my pizza box?" I interviewed, recorded observations, transcribed, and later analyzed the data for patterns and common themes. The interviews centered around the question, "What is this (artifact) and why do you want to keep it in your portfolio?"

I also interviewed Stacey Jordan about her experiences with portfolios and why she values them in her classroom. I made additional observations of the preschool environment, paying special attention to those conditions that seemed to foster and encourage reflection.

The Preschool

The Wright Start Preschool in Exeter, New Hampshire, is a special place where preschoolers (ages 2 years, 9 months to 6 years) join with high school students and caring teachers in an environment where everyone is considered to be both a teacher and a learner. Part of a vocational program offered through the Seacoast School of Technology, the preschool allows high school students to study child development and early childhood education, alternating classroom activities with apprentice work. The high school and preschool teachers work together, and everyone learns from each other.

Reflective portfolios

Childhood Education, Summer 2000 by Smith, Amy F

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