A portfolio is a handy assessment option that doubles as a form of recordkeeping—it’s simply a curated compilation of your child’s schoolwork samples from the past year.

Portfolios are used in state-required end-of-year assessments in two ways:

  • Some states provide an assessment option in which parents turn in their child’s portfolio directly to the school district.
  • Some states have an evaluator option, and a portfolio is often required for this.

So, first of all, check your state law to see what end-of-year assessments are required, and whether portfolios are one of the options.

However, even if portfolios are not an assessment option in your state, you might still like the portfolio idea!

Here are several other reasons you may want to keep a portfolio:

  • It’s a fabulous way to document and hang onto work samples, school photos, certificates, and other precious homeschool memories.
  • It can also serve as a handy tool when filling out school reports for college admissions or other application purposes.
  • For students with special needs, portfolios are a great assessment option because they’re focused on demonstrating what a student learned throughout the year.

What to put in your child’s portfolio

The key items in a portfolio are chronological work samples—such as math tests and writing projects—that show your student’s progress in those subjects. Typically, they’re organized by month or subject.

You do not need to include every worksheet, just a few samples that best represent your student’s growth over the year.

Beyond work samples, the sky’s the limit! Here are some ideas of other things you could include in your portfolio:

Academic
  • State homeschool documentation
  • Academic goal sheet
  • Curriculum scope and sequences
  • List of educational partners, such as tutors, co-ops, and online providers
  • Report cards
  • Reading list
  • Standardized test results
  • Daily schedule

Extracurricular
  • Field trip list
  • List of extracurricular activities (i.e. sports, clubs, activities)
  • List of volunteer opportunities
  • Job shadowing/employment opportunities (for older students)

Bonus (this is the fun stuff!)
  • Awards/certificates
  • Artwork/creative projects
  • Photos of educational experiences, such as field trips, science experiment steps, or other highlights of the school year
  • For digital portfolios: Videos from the school year

For more ideas and practical help, HSLDA members can check out a sample portfolio at the bottom of this article.

If you’re creating a portfolio for a really young student (say preschool through around age 7) you can find some specific tips for documenting their early learning achievements and skills in Assessment Options for Young Children.

Physical vs. digital portfolios

You have the choice of making either a physical or digital portfolio! There are benefits to both, so you can choose whichever one works best for your family.

Physical
  • Commonly put in a three-ring binder, accordion file folder, or file box.
  • Great for showcasing hard copy worksheets, artwork, and certificates.
  • Easy to organize/rearrange sections.
  • You can always print out digital components (like book lists or test results) to put into the portfolio.

Digital
  • Made in a Google Doc, Word Doc, Canva, or other word processing software.
  • Handy for long-term storage and can include cool features like videos.
  • Easy to edit and revise over the course of the year.
  • If you have physical worksheets you want to add, there are free apps that let you scan documents with your phone.

Because portfolios include both important records and treasured memories, it’s a good idea to always keep your original portfolio for your own use—and simply provide a photocopy or digital copy if you do submit a portfolio for a state-required assessment.

Families have found lots of creative ways to showcase their kids’ work. YouTube offers great how-to videos. Also, check out this article by a homeschool mom for portfolio ideas you might want to try.

How to make a portfolio

Now that you’ve thought about what you want to include, and whether you want to make it digitally or physically, it’s time to actually put it together!

Here are a couple helpful tips about making a portfolio:

Start early

Making a portfolio can feel like an overwhelming project if you wait till the end of the year to do it. That’s why it’s a great idea to start as early as possible and document throughout the year. This breaks the project up into bite-size pieces.

If it would be helpful for you, consider picking a documentation timeframe, whether it’s at the end of every week, month, or quarter. During this time, go through your child’s schoolwork, their creative projects, and your camera roll to log all the information into your portfolio.

Make it a group project

Portfolios don’t have to be a solitary project! You can get your kids involved in designing and compiling their own portfolios throughout the year.

It gives them a say in their year-end evaluation, channels their creativity, and encourages them to take pride in their learning and savor what they’ve accomplished!

Remember: there isn’t one right way

Though it may feel like you need to get things “just right” in order to make a proper portfolio, that’s certainly not true! 

A good portfolio contains key information (and anything that’s legally required, of course!), but it doesn’t need to be formatted a certain way, listed in a particular order, or contain every possible section. As long as you sufficiently highlight what your student has learned and done throughout their academic year, you’ve done a good job.

If you’re feeling stuck, we recommend looking at the sample portfolio below for some inspiration, but remember: you’re free to make this project your own and have fun with it!