Start Spreading the News: Tips on Writing Top-Notch Newsletters

I love writing newsletters. I find it relaxing and a wonderful way to communicate with my parents and share my knowledge of early childhood education in an informal written account of my very busy and educational unit.

Just remember you don't need to be a wordsmith in order to provide your parents with insight into their child's weekly activities and centers.

The tips below should be a sufficient and impromptu guide into sparking up any newsletter.

• Use clear concise type such as Arial, Times New Roman, Times or Helvetica. These crisp clear fonts give any newsletter a professional look without frilly swirls or hard to read text. 
• Pepper your newsletter with educationally-based language and verbs such as fine motor, counted, observed, constructive play etc. 
• Make your newsletter personal by thanking parents who read to the children or children's birthdays. Believe me, this step goes a long way in making connections with parents. 
• Ask your director if you can add pictures to your newsletter. Remember a picture is worth more than a thousand words (especially to a parent who is busy working and not able to partake in the many fun activities their child enjoyed during their week). 
• Separate your activities and centers into a bullet point type format for ease of reading. 
• Title your e-mail newsletters with your homeroom name and unit so that parents will not accidentally delete it as spam.