To the classroom teacher
(for the child who stutters at school)

1.) Consult with the school’s speech pathologist for suggestions.

2.) Talk to the parents about their opinion of the problem so that you and they can be consistent in the things you do.

3.) A major concern for most teachers is the child’s reactions to his stuttering in the classroom. There are no set rules about participation in class. At one extreme is the child who may be quite unconcerned and happy to participate like any other child. At the other extreme, the child may cry and refuse to talk. Most cases are somewhere in between.

4.) Talk with the child privately. Show your support. Show him you are aware of his stuttering (elementary school children) and that you accept it and him.

5.) Answering questions:
As you are asking questions in the classroom, you can do certain things to make it easier for a child who stutters.
• Initially, until he adjusts to the class, ask him questions that can be answered with relatively few words.
• If every child is going to be asked a question, call on the child who stutters fairly early. Tension and worry can build up the longer he has to wait his turn.
• Assure the whole class that (1) they will have as much time as they need to answer questions and (2) you are interested in having them take time and think through their answers, not just answer quickly.

6.) Reading aloud in class:
Many children who stutter are able to handle oral reading tasks in the
classroom satisfactorily, particularly if they are encouraged to practice at home. There will be some, however, who will stutter severely while reading aloud in class. The following suggestions may help:
• Reading in unison with someone else is very helpful. Let the child have his turn with one of the other children.
• Let the whole class read in pairs sometimes, so that the child who stutters doesn’t feel “special”. Gradually, he may become more confident and able to manage reading out loud on his own.

7.) Addressing teasing:

The following suggestions may be helpful to deal with teasing.
• If the child has been upset with teasing, talk with him.
• Point out that many children are teased for many things.
• Tell the child to try not to take it too seriously.
• If certain children are picking on him, talk to them alone. Try to enlist their help. Most want the approval of their teacher. Punishing them for teasing does not help.

8.) If no speech clinician is available, suggest to the parents that they seek one out who is licensed and specializes in stuttering.

Sources: (1) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2) The Stuttering Foundation of America