Principal Newsletter: Announcing a New Reading Curriculum to Families

Reading curriculum changes are among the most emotionally charged communications a principal can send. Families have strong memories of how they learned to read, strong opinions about how their children are learning, and sometimes strong attachments to the program that is being replaced. Your newsletter needs to explain the change clearly, address the feelings without validating every objection, and give families something useful to do at home.

Name the Curriculum and What It Is

Start with a concrete description of what you are adopting. The name of the curriculum, the grade levels it covers, and the core approach. If it is a structured literacy curriculum, say that and define the term: structured literacy teaches reading through explicit, systematic instruction in the code of written language, from the smallest sound units to complex text comprehension. Families who know what they are getting are more engaged with the implementation.

Explain Why You Are Making the Change

Give the reason directly. If reading assessment data showed consistent gaps, say that. If state literacy legislation required the change, explain what the law requires and why. If the previous curriculum was not aligned to current evidence about how children learn to read, describe that honestly. The families who most need this information are the parents of the students who struggled most under the previous approach.

Describe What Will Look Different in the Classroom

Families will notice changes, and they will be less alarmed if they were told to expect them. Name what changes. Decodable books instead of or alongside leveled readers. More explicit phonics instruction with letter-sound correspondences taught in sequence. Different homework materials. Word study practices that look different from spelling worksheets of the past. Being specific about the visible changes prevents confusion from being interpreted as failure.

Acknowledge What the Previous Program Did Well

Some families loved the previous reading approach. A sentence acknowledging that the prior program served many students well, and that the change is not a rejection of those experiences, diffuses defensiveness. The change is not saying everything before was wrong. It is saying that the field learned something and the school is responding.

Give Families a Simple Way to Help at Home

Read aloud to your child. Listen to them read and let them use what they are learning before jumping in. Ask them what sounds they know in an unfamiliar word. Praise the attempt, not just the outcome. Keep these suggestions brief, practical, and free of jargon. Families who feel capable of helping do more of it.

Note When Families Will Hear More

If there is a curriculum night or informational session coming, announce it here. If teachers will be sending home explanatory materials with the first homework assignments, mention that. Daystage lets you schedule follow-up newsletters in advance so families receive updates as the implementation progresses without requiring you to remember to write each one from scratch.