Parents and children's portfolios

Our National Minimum Curriculum suggests the introduction of portfolios in schools. Continuous and formative assessment are very often associated with the keeping of a portfolio which, I strongly believe, can bring about a silent revolution in the education of our children.

Here I intend to give practical tips to parents on how keeping a portfolio at home can be of great educational benefit to our children. Moreover, it would surely prove to be an enjoyable experience to both children and parents.

Marianne is a lively 19-year-old. Recently she opened a cabinet and there it was, her magic folder, containing, among other things, her first drawings, her first attempts at writing numbers as well as the letters of the alphabet, and a file full of her favourite compositions. Marianne felt very nostalgic. The days when she played with her parents on a rug in what everyone used to refer to as 'the big room' came to her mind.

Marianne's magic folder is a collection of items. Some may refer to it as a portfolio, which may take different shapes and serves different purposes. Basically, however, it is a collection of selected works. The selection process is extremely significant because it is in itself of great educational value.

Marianne recalls her father asking her which drawing she wanted to keep, the cat coloured in yellow or the one coloured in pink. She chose neither, because the cat's tail was rather short and she didn't like it. Instead she opted for what in her mind resembled a Dalmatian because she enjoyed making black spots on the dog, and also because her mother had read her the story of the 101 Dalmatians.

Marianne now realises that since her infancy she has been trained in very basic skills which, now-a-days are very much associated with the keeping of a portfolio. Such skills also positively influenced her attitude towards learning, which she came to enjoy.

The keeping of the magic folder strengthened her belief that her father and mother appreciated her work. This, of course, encouraged her to please them and motivated her to draw, to act out her fertile imaginations (which her father captured on the camera), and to make believe, at times being a mummy caring for her children and scolding them when necessary.

Occasionally her parents recorded her without her knowledge, and now, 15 years later, Marianne is proud to listen to her sweet voice singing lullabies to put 'her' children to sleep. The keeping of her magic folder (which we may very well refer to as a portfolio) encouraged her when the time came to write letters to Jesus, to her dead granny as well as to her mum and dad.

Marianne's parents were aware that they couldn't keep all her daughter's stuff. They had to choose what to keep and what to discard. But they were wise enough not to do it for her. It was Marianne herself who had to decide what to keep in her magic folder. So in a very natural way she was being trained to choose and to take decisions after 'careful consideration'. Those moments Marianne used to spend with her father discussing her choice were as significant as the conferencing that goes on periodically between teachers and students where portfolios are part and parcel of an educational system.

Her choices were rational although her reasons could have appeared to be 'childish' to an adult not familiar to children's way of thinking. When she was seven she wrote a paragraph about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Then she wrote another paragraph about Matilda and decided to illustrate her work with a drawing. So Matilda found itself inside the folder which Marianne proudly showed to her boyfriend many years later.

It is not really important which piece of work is kept, but having a reason for keeping it is extremely beneficial. The process of choosing will sharpen the child's mind. The child will have to think and to evaluate his or her own work. This is the skill of self-assessment.

By now parents must have realised that it is not something out of this world to start a portfolio with their children, particularly if they are (as they should be) used to spending time with them. The advantages are enormous, especially if one is aware of the skills that the child will acquire.

The child will handle these skills more confidently if parents are aware of them and specifically choose them as attainment targets for their children. Self-assessment has to be one of these learning intentions. Marianne recalls herself correcting her own work before giving it to her teacher. Then Marianne would carry out changes in view of the teacher's comments.

Education is a process, and we very often fail to reap the maximum positive benefit because we tend to stop half way. Very often what is needed is that little extra effort. Marianne was always encouraged to follow the motto that if she is to do something it's worth doing it well. For her it was not enough to write an English composition. She was trained to try to improve it until she was satisfied with her own achievement. If she really liked it, she would place it in her magic folder.

But that was not enough. Marianne used to record the reasons for choosing a piece of work. This process helped her a lot in acquiring the skill of self-reflection. Moreover she came to enjoy the process of organising her folder, due to the pride involved in her own creations.

As a nation we are spending millions of liri on formal education. Parents do recognise the fact that the education of children is a priority and a fruitful investment. They are ready to collaborate with schools for the benefit of their children. However I do believe that parents should take a more active role in the education of their children. They should know, for example, about the debate regarding whether portfolios should become an integral part of our educational system. They should also know that there are divergent opinions on the type of portfolios we should adopt.

Parents are encouraged to do their part. Their role, however, doesn't stop there. In the comfort of their homes parents can choose to become a significant instrument in the teaching and learning process. It is their right and their privilege to leave a positive indelible mark on the total development of their child. As was the case with Marianne, the keeping of a portfolio at home may help them in this unique and noble task.

Mr Grech is education officer at the Educational Assessment Unit of the Education Division