Chapter 15: Using the Portfolio for Communications with Families and Looking at the 

Child’s Interactions with Adults 

 
Fact Reflection 
15-1 (Communications with Families)  The families do not get to see their kids for a 
❖ Sharing observations show that the  solid 7+ hours for 5 days a week. That is alot 
child is being watched and listened to  of missed time that the families would love to 
by a:  be clued in on. 
➢ person who knows child 
development in general and this 
child in particular 
❖ Families who feel secure about the 
child’s program become better partners 
in the child’s learning 

15-1a (Family Involvement)  Families will also make it easier to get 

❖ In order to form a partnership, a  information as they will naturally ask about 
shared responsibility for the time the  their child’s day and will be curious about their 
child is in your care and class  development. 
➢ Attention needs to be given to 
the family-school relationship 
❖ Involvement is the knowledge families 
have about their child while in the 
program 
❖ The family is the expert of the child, so 
we need their input to better 
understand the child 
➢ Daily contact with families is 
the preferable mode of 
communicating the 
observations and assessments 
between home and school, and 
such opportunities should be 
maximized 

15-1b (Guide for all Communication with  It’s so important to keep the family’s clued in 
Families)  on their child’s progress. Every child deserves 
❖ Families build trust through personal  a team of people championing for them. 
contact with the teacher and other   
program staff   
➢ Whatever the mode,   
communication should be   
positive, descriptive, personal   
❖ Personal   
➢ Teachers cannot care for the   
child if they do not adequately   
 do that job have the family’s   
cooperation   
➢ Sharing tidbits about the child’s   
day is an important and crucial   
part of the teacher’s   
responsibility   
➢ Personal communication also   
means that confidentiality is   
maintained in face-to-face   
convos   
❖ Descriptive   
➢ Its difficult to give daily   
detailed comments to every   
family, so sharing tidbits and  You never know what a person is going 
progress updates is a great  through. You want to approach any 
alternative  conversation in life with a respectful and 
❖ Positive  positive manner. 
➢ All comments shared informally 
should be POSITIVE 
■ Staff who relay “bad 
news” at end of day are 
venting anger 
➢ Development is always looked 
at from a positive viewpoint 

15-1c (Ethical Responsibilities to Families)   

❖ The family is the primary influence on   
the child   
➢ Teacher’s role is to collaborate   
with the family, offering   
specialized knowledge   
■ Always approach with   
respect and   
consideration   
❖ NAEYC (Ethical Code of Conduct)  There is always more to learn. With more and 
➢ Be familiar with knowledge  more research and information released about 
base related to working  child development, the need to be on top of 
effectively with families  updates is more important. 
through continued education 
and training 
➢ Develop relationships of mutual 
trust and create partnerships 
with the families served 
■ Respect dignity and 
preferences of each 
family 
15-1d (Types of Written Communication)  My family members loved when I would bring 
❖ The purpose of communication will  home weekly newsletters or notes about my 
determine the method and frequency of  day. It made them feel apart of everything I 
that communication  was learning and accomplishing. 
❖ Remember, what is written is 
permanent and could be misinterpreted. 
❖ Family Handbook 
➢ Include info about program, 
enrollment and attendance, 
parent involvement, health and 
safety 
❖ Newsletters 
➢ Should be easy to compile as it 
can be based off A.R 

15-2 (Using Portfolios for Progress Reports  Portfolios are beneficial for many reasons, this 
and Child Studies)  just being one of them. 
❖ Portfolios give the opportunity for 
family involvement through 
communication centered on the child’s 
work, and they help the family become 
involved in the curriculum 

15-2a (What’s in the Portfolio and Who Can  Once again, it’s great to have one place where 
See It?)  all the child’s information can be. Knowing the 
❖ Portfolio: individual folder for each  do’s and do nots for maintaining, explaining, 
child in class  and adding to the Portfolio is an essential bit 
➢ Gathers together information  of knowledge to have. 
from multiple source 
➢ Should be stored in a locked file 
cabinet or box 
➢ Only available to the family 
upon request and to the child 
➢ Contributors: 
■ Child, family, teachers, 
staff, previous teachers, 
referral agents 
❖ What is Not in the Portfolio? 
➢ Reflective journals 
❖ Who Can Read the Portfolio? 
➢ Families, practitioners, 
community agencies, child 
(toddler and older) 

15-2b (Formal Sharing Portfolio Documents)  Hopefully, the child is surrounded by a group 
❖ Data collected in these documents  of people who cares about their well-being 
development  (both at home and at schol). Keying those 
 ➢ Used to make changes in  loved ones in on the child’s time and progress 
environment, daily routines  is just another perk of the job. 
■ To make it more 
challenging and 
interesting 
■ And to meet all the 
children’s needs 
❖ Progress Reports 
➢ Short reviews of a child’s 
development in written format 

15-2c (What to Do with It?)  Again, knowing what a portfolio is beneficial 

❖ Family has right to it, but it remains  for will aid you in explaining the details within 
property of the school  it. 
➢ Any records kept confidential 
❖ Portfolio can be transferred to: 
➢ Family, next teacher, next 
school, referral agent 
❖ Class Files 
➢ Represents the whole class 
rather than individual children 
❖ Reflective Journal 
➢ Property of the writer 

15-2d (How to Find the Time)  Communication is key.  

❖ Keeping open communication lines with   
families takes time, but is essential  As a society, we have all the tools to 
❖ Using Technology  communicate, but still lack knowledge and 
➢ Email, voicemail, blogs,  ability on how to do so.  
newsletters, conferences, etc 

15-3 (Looking at the Child’s Interactions with  School is new to every child at some point. As 
Adults)  adults, we become overwhelmed by change as 
❖ Children need physical affection, stable  well. It’s always nice to have someone 
relationships, and safe and healthy  understand or at least be considerate of what 
environments  we are going through 
❖ When a child begins the program, they 
begin to realize the differences in 
people, and their views on behavior 

15-3a (How Observation and Recording Aids   

Child-Adult Interactions) 
❖ Connection between child-adult 
interactions should be clear 
❖ To record child-adult interactions 
➢ Class list logs, A.R, R.R, 
frequency count, time sampling, 
 work samples, checklists and 
rating scales, media 

15-3b (The Teacher’s Role in Child Guidance)  Knowledge is power. The more time taken to 
❖ Adult takes initiative to get acquainted  not only learn about child development, but 
with child  also reflecting on the material from all 
❖ Teacher promptly responds and is  perspectives will make this task be able to be 
sensitive to the child’s needs  performed all that much more smoothly 
❖ The teacher helps the child by having 
foundation knowledge of child 
development, specific knowledge about 
the child, and close observation of 
developing situations 
❖ Preparing the Environment 
➢ Equipment and materials are 
organized, accessible, in good 
condition, varied, and sufficient 
number wise 
❖ Cultivating Realistic Expectations 
➢ Adults’ interactions with 
children must be based on 
developmental norms and 
appropriate practice principles 

15-3c (Adult Intervention of Problem  Safety is key.  

Behavior)   
❖ First role is to keep child safe   
➢ Describe without labeling   
➢ Express displeasure without   
insult   
➢ Correct by direction   
❖ Possible Causes of Problem Behavior  I really like this list of potential reasons. It 
➢ Children are not sure of what  gives the adult a childlike perspective, which 
the rules are  as a teacher, is a habit that should be adopted. 
■ Not sure how to follow 
the rules 
■ Mixed messages about 
the importance of 
certain rules 
➢ Think the rule is justified 
➢ Liberation teaching: theory that 
the teacher, by seeking to meet 
the child’s needs, does not give 
up on the child 

15-4 (Helping all Children through Home and   

School Communications) 
 ❖ communication=vital 
❖ Especially critical when there are 
extreme diversities involved 

15-4a (Children from Diverse Backgrounds)  Communication is so important!! Alot of 

❖ Communication is key component to  trouble can be reduced or even eliminated 
working in partnership with families 
❖ Teacher’s responsibility to find some 
common ground 

15-4b (Children with Special Needs)   

❖ Families whose children have special 
needs must be advocates for their child 
❖ Takes an intense amount of 
understanding between families and 
teacher to come to agreements that 
don’t overburden the teacher/program 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No tool for this chapter as it would require actual work from a child, which I do not have the 
ability to obtain