Tips for Back to School Letters for SLPs

So you’ve got pretty much everything set and organized and now you need to reach out to all of your students’ families! Congrats! 🎉

The first week can be a whirlwind and super overwhelming. As this is your first contact with your students’ parents/guardians, you’re probably worried about making a good first impression. We’ve got you covered!💪 

Start with an Introduction Letter

An introduction letter is a great way to reach out to families. Keep it short and sweet but make sure your letter has your contact information and a short introduction about yourself and how you’re looking forward to working with their child. We’ll include an example one and a blank one for you to customize. 🙌

How to Send a Letter

Try to communicate in some form with your families during the first week of school. Here are a list of ways to try and communicate!

Email: I typically email my letter to students’ parents/guardians. (That way I know if I have the right email address too!)

Paper Letter: If I don’t get an email back, I’ll put a paper version in the student’s backpack. Some will also request a paper version so they can put it on their fridge.

Phone call/text message: Depending on your caseload, you may be able to have a quick phone call or send a text message. I use Google Voice or Seesaw. What you use will depend on your district. I use Google Voice because it keeps a log of my communication. Seesaw messages get archived every year.

If you use a different method, you may want to start a communication log. Make sure it’s FERPA compliant!

If you need some inspiration, click here for a free template!

Follow Up Communication

I also send a follow-up after I have my schedule with the tentative day and time of their child’s session. I’m also able to make a note of the best way to contact that family. It comes in handy later! I promise!

Check-In

Throughout the year, I do try to check in a couple of times with parents/guardians just to drop a quick note about how a session went well and right before an IEP. It’s a great way to connect with parents/guardians so that meetings aren’t the only time you’re talking to them.

I’ve found that all of my meetings go a lot smoother when I’ve checked in with them before a meeting and a couple of times a year on a good note. My students also LOVE when they get to take that note home! 😍

Good luck and I hope that you have a great year!