How do I preserve my child’s work?

I know that your child will come home with a lot of papers. I know this because I used to make up the assignments. I am now on the other end of the process and trying to figure out the best way to honor my son’s progress. I came up with a system that works for us. I thought I would share.

On Friday when Matthew brings home his work we are going to place it in a sheet protector in a binder. I will try to gather a variety of subjects to showcase his academic growth. When we select the artifact we will laminate it. I have a personal laminator available at Sam’s club $24.95 and the sheets are about $7.00 for 25. There are also self adhesive laminating sheets for a similar cost and you do not need a machine.

You can do this for less money by taking pictures of your child’s work. You can use those picture and make a book of all your child’s artwork using a service like Snap Fish. They have super coupons out there. To find them go to Deal Taker. This is where I find ALL my online coupons. I mean take a minute it could save you a couple of bucks or more because it is not what you SAVE but what you Spend so spend less to buy the things you are already buying.

I also have taken a poster board and folded it in half and stapled around the edged to make a large artifact holder. I am going to slip in a index card detailing Matthew’s reflection on his work. This is a great way for your child to feel good about themselves and their work and it makes getting rid of the rest of the work less traumatic.

As a teacher I encourage you to set aside some time once a week to review your child’s success. We all work for something whether it is money, alternate services, praise, or something that we find rewarding. A child no matter what age needs your support. If you start this process early it will affirm the importance of education. This artifact collection system will allow you to bridge the gap between school and home. It will allow you to make comparisons and sight specific progress. The best praise is one that is specific. “Wow, Matthew I see that now you can write your name using a capital letter.” This will make Matthew feel great knowing you noticed his progress. The memories we make are priceless and keeping a record of them will be a treasure your child will have forever in their hearts and in their hands.