Showing student work for a portfolio review in the area of writing can be done in various ways. Whether you have a student who is just beginning to write or a student who is authoring a novel, samples of work can be included in their portfolio review. Simple words and/or drawings are ways of writing and communicating so include those as part of your budding author’s portfolio. Can you guess what this is representing? If you guessed the fourth day of Creation you are right! If you have a child that is not yet writing, but loves to tell stories, be the scribe and write it down for them. You can read it back to them and they can illustrate parts of it. The important point is that they see themselves as an author, being able to communicate through writing. Beginning writer’s work can also be samples of writing the alphabet or practicing their name. Elementary and Middle SchoolChildren love to express their love and, while you may not consider a card to be “writing”, it is because a thought or idea is being communicated. Put those in the portfolio as part of language arts. What about lists and jokes? Yes, they count too! My son Ian had this eight page book that was nothing more than a list of animals and a name next to it. He had a lot of fun with it and would carry it with him throughout the day. I would see him scribbling something in it and then chuckle to himself as he read back over the list. The funny thing is that I just found that list the other day when I was cleaning out some of his old artwork! Here are other ideas:Short stories and chapters of booksHow-to do something (play a game) Writing a letter (take a picture of it before you send it off in the mail)Short research project (1-2 pages on various history or science topics) For you who have techie children and familiesEmails to a grandparentBlog (Some of your children may be contributors to a blog or have their own.)