Portfolios allow children to see a progression in their work throughout the school year. Portfolios give parents a chance to become involved with, and informed of their child's education. Portfolios give a student the opportunity to self-assess themselves. Portfolios can be combined with other alternative assessement or traditional assessment techniques. Many teachers do not know how to use the information from a portfolio in the most productive manner.
Some teachers feel that elementary students are too young to self-assess themselves.
Portfolios and other alternavtive assessment techniques can often be time consuming.