Red Flag Words

RED FLAG WORDS
Red flag words are those that are subjective. Because they do not describe
behavior in a factual way, they do not belong in observations. Here are some
of the more common red flag words-avoid them!
Feelings cannot be objectively observed. Avoid these red flags: happy,

sad, mean, kind, angry, mellow, apathetic, bored, interested, proud,
sympathetic, understanding, nasty, mischievous, lazy, crabby, laid-back,
cooperative
Intelligence cannot be objectively observed. Avoid these red flags: smart,

stupid, bright, dumb, mediocre, above-average, overwhelmed,
overachiever, underachiever
Reasons for doing things cannot be objectively observed. Avoid these red
flags: provoked, helpful, forced to, tricked, determined, undirected, out-ofcontrol, motivated, spiritual, conscientious, frivolous
Self-concept cannot be objectively observed. Avoid these red flags: selfesteem, competence, weak, pretty, ugly, athletic, strong, secure, insecure
CONFIDENTIALITY
When dealing with observing and recording behavior, the issue of
confidentiality must be discussed. Because observations become a part of a
child's portfolio, the same rules that govern the use of portfolios need to be
in effect. Here are some guidelines for protecting the confidentiality of
children and families:
Code the children's names to protect their identities, if necessary.
Use observational techniques that will not break a parent's confidentiality.
Do not leave observations out of the portfolio where they can be seen by
other staff or parents of the other children.
Provide access to written observation records only to parents and

professionals on a need-to-know basis. Written parental consent should be
obtained before anyone other than the teacher, home visitor, or parent is
allowed access to the information.
Discuss observations with other staff only on a need-to-know basis.
Store portfolios in locked files, drawers, or closets. Limit the number of

access keys.
Determine a policy on how long records are maintained. Typically, records

move with the child. When children are ready to transition to school,
portfolios are transferred to the school, with the parents' permission.
Conducting observations is a vital part of quality programming. At the same

time, it carries with it an ethical responsibility to protect the privacy of Head
Start children and families. When in doubt, discuss issues with the education
coordinator or program director. In most instances, it is wise to err on the
side of caution. The rights of children and families should always come first.
THE PORTFOLIO AND ITS USE

Contents
What goes into children's portfolios? You already know about much of the
portfolio's contents. Records from comprehensive screening, developmental
assessment (if conducted), and ongoing assessment go in the portfolio. All of
your observations-informal as well as formal-should be housed in the
portfolio, too.
The other major component of the portfolio is work samples-examples of
children's work that have been saved as records of the children's progress.
You might appropriately include any number of items as work samples. Here
are some suggestions:
AUTHENTIC OR ACTUAL WORK COMPLETED BY CHILDREN (AT HOME AND IN
CENTER-BASED SETTINGS):
Drawings, paintings, and collages (including those inspired by stories or

music)
Writing and number writing
Books dictated and illustrated by children
Computer printouts of art, writing, or creative experiences
Graphs of science-related experiments
PHOTOS OF CHILDREN'S WORK:
Artwork
Cooking activities created on their own or as part of group projects
Dramatic play activities
Block building
WRITTEN RECORDS:
Questions, issues, and brainstorming notes from observing children in

small-group project work
Logs of books read with the child at Head Start and at home
Notes and comments by children about their work, including descrip tions
of artwork recorded by staff directly onto drawings and paintings
Interviews with children about favorite play activities
Children's personal reactions to Head Start experiences (for example,

after a trip to the pet store)
Children's self-evaluations of their work
AUDIOVISUAL RECORDS:
Tape recordings of children reciting stories they have made up
Tape recordings of children making animal sounds, singing alone or with

the group, or engaged in dramatic play
Videotape recordings of special projects, events, or performances
SUGGESTIONS
Education staff and children jointly select the work samples to put into the
portfolio. Parents might contribute items such as drawings done at home or
notes on examples of behaviors they have observed. Staff should make sure
that taken together, the examples of children's work represent the child and
reflect his or her progress during the year. They should also show the child's
growth in all areas of development: social, emotional, physical, and
cognitive.
They should also reflect the child's experiences in all interest areas, both
indoors and outdoors.
It is recommended that you add something to each child's portfolio every
two weeks. Share the responsibility and set a staggered schedule so you do
not have to make entries to all of the portfolios at one time. Date each entry
with the month, day, and year to show when in the year the work was
completed.
At first you might find it difficult to decide what to put in a child's portfolio. It
takes practice to become skilled in selecting examples that are truly
representative of the child's work. Ask a colleague or your education
coordinator for some help. Try to remember that you are creating an ongoing
record of the child's growing skills that will be an alternative to a
standardized test. Just as a test tries to measure children's progress and mas
tery of skills, so too should the samples you put in a portfolio illustrate the
child's progress and skills. Therefore, if Hakim has just learned to make a
tower of blocks, this is a milestone worthy of inclusion in his portfolio. You
could complete an anecdotal record or take a snapshot of one of his
creations. In the same vein, if Desiree habitually plays with baby dolls in the
housekeeping area, then this is a behavior that represents her interests and
play preferences.
Again, observation notes of her play or an audiotape of her talking to a doll
as she feeds it would be appropriate for her portfolio.
Every two weeks, ask children what they would like to include in their
portfolios. This helps children make judgments about their work, and they
get the message at an early age that self-assessment is an important part of
learning and growing. If children need help selecting samples, ask a probing
question such as, Which painting was the most fun to do? or Which of these
books that we worked on together do you think would be nice to have in a
library?
ORGANIZING THE PORTFOLIO

Portfolios are growing documents. To be useful, they must be expandable,
durable, accessible, and portable. The containers used as portfolios should fit
in the locked storage area, such as a closet with shelves or a tall cabinet with
shelves and doors. Accordion files, unused empty pizza boxes donated by a
local business, or plastic containers with lids can serve as portfolio
containers. As long as the container has enough room for organizing the
contents, it is appropriate.
As there will be a number of portfolio entries throughout the year, it is a good
idea to group them by subject matter. Within each category, put dated items
in the container chronologically. The following may be a useful way to
organize portfolios:
Art Activities (fine motor development)-drawings, photos of block

constructions, collages, samples of writing letters
Movement (gross motor development)-videotapes of movement activities,

observations of outdoor play, interviews with the child about favorite
games
Math and Science Activities (concept development)-photos of the child

measuring during a cooking activity, chart of activities per formed by the
child in caring for plants, and checklists covering the child's use of
creative thinking and problem-solving skills
Language and Literacy (emerging reading and writing skills)-tape

recordings of stories, signs written by the child, stories or poems dictated
by the child
Personal and Social Development (self-concept, social skills, self help

skills)-observation notes on social skills, chart of the child's choices, notes
from conversations with the parents
USING THE PORTFOLIO

Portfolios serve three major purposes. First, they are a natural vehicle for
sharing information with parents. Your agendas for parent conferences and
home visits can come directly from the portfolio's contents since it is a
complete profile of the child's ongoing development. You also have answers
to most questions at your fingertips. Suppose a parent wants to know if
Ruthie will be ready for kindergarten. You can share the checklist assessment
of Ruthie's skills, show examples of alphabet letters that Ruthie wrote
spontaneously, and go over the log of books Ruthie explored in the library
area. You can also share your anecdotal observations and running records
that document Ruthie' s refined motor skills, mastery of self-help skills, and
creative approach to problem solving. In fact, you will probably have dozens
of items to share that will answer the question about Ruthie's readiness.
Second, portfolios help education staff with planning. Because portfolios are
a living record of children's progress, they provide an ongoing source of
information that can be used for individualizing. Just as screening and
assessment information were the basis for your original plans for
individualizing, the information from portfolios can be used to update goals
and plans for each child.
Third, because portfolios move with the child, they support the transition to
school. With parental permission, the child's portfolio goes with him or her to
kindergarten. Thus, the more complete and easy-to-use a child's portfolio is,
the easier it will be for the child's new teachers and administrators to offer
an appropriate curriculum. You can help children long after they have left
Head Start by keeping portfolios that are self explanatory and representative
of children's backgrounds, skills, interests, and needs.

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RED FLAG WORDS

Feelings cannot be objectively observed. Avoid these red flags: happy,

Intelligence cannot be objectively observed. Avoid these red flags: smart,

Code the children's names to protect their identities, if necessary.

Use observational techniques that will not break a parent's confidentiality.

Provide access to written observation records only to parents and

Discuss observations with other staff only on a need-to-know basis.

Store portfolios in locked files, drawers, or closets. Limit the number of

Determine a policy on how long records are maintained. Typically, records

Conducting observations is a vital part of quality programming. At the same

THE PORTFOLIO AND ITS USE

Drawings, paintings, and collages (including those inspired by stories or

Writing and number writing

Books dictated and illustrated by children

Computer printouts of art, writing, or creative experiences

Graphs of science-related experiments

PHOTOS OF CHILDREN'S WORK:

Cooking activities created on their own or as part of group projects

Dramatic play activities

Questions, issues, and brainstorming notes from observing children in

Interviews with children about favorite play activities

Children's personal reactions to Head Start experiences (for example,

Children's self-evaluations of their work

Tape recordings of children reciting stories they have made up

Tape recordings of children making animal sounds, singing alone or with

Videotape recordings of special projects, events, or performances

ORGANIZING THE PORTFOLIO

Art Activities (fine motor development)-drawings, photos of block

Movement (gross motor development)-videotapes of movement activities,

Math and Science Activities (concept development)-photos of the child

Language and Literacy (emerging reading and writing skills)-tape

Personal and Social Development (self-concept, social skills, self help

USING THE PORTFOLIO

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