For Many Kids, the 'Scariest Day of the Year' is the First Day of School

5 Tips to Help Students Who Stutter Have a Great School Year

MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kids are just getting out of school for the summer, with long days filled with camps, vacations and free time to play with family and friends ahead. But for many parents and teachers, it's already time to start preparing for going back to school.

New teachers, new classmates, new school, new subjects and new class rules—these changes can sometimes feel overwhelming for many students and make the first day of school the "scariest day of the year," especially for students who stutter.

The Stuttering Foundation has five tips to help prepare students to get ready this summer to thrive during the new school year:

1. Spend time reading with your child who stutters. We have several free e-books listed on our summer reading list page for readers of all ages, and a running list stuttering-related books available through online booksellers, at book stores and in libraries.
   
   
2. Watch a video titled "Stuttering: For Kids, By Kids 2.0" together to hear students talk about their experience with stuttering at school. Kids can really relate to their peers talking about life and learning in school.
   
   
3. Take a trip to your local public library. For decades, The Stuttering Foundation has made its books and videos available for free to public libraries across the country. Today, through the generosity of benefactors, more than 16,000 libraries shelve these materials. Public libraries can request Stuttering Foundation materials free of charge by submitting an updated request form.
   
   
4. Send us your letters and drawings! The Stuttering Foundation has published hundreds of submissions from students who stutter in our magazine and on our website. For kids, it's a wonderful reminder that you are not alone! Read letters from students and learn how to submit.
   
   
5. Make a plan with your new teacher. Many schools let students meet their new teachers before the school year starts. Families may also communicate with new teachers before the new school year begins or on the first day. The Stuttering Foundation provides guidance on its "Notes to the Teacher: The Child Who Stutters at School" page on how to work as a team to have a successful school year. 

The Stuttering Foundation has created a curated collection of Back-to-School resources for parents and teachers on its website, StutteringHelp.org.

About the Stuttering Foundation

Malcolm Fraser, a successful businessman who struggled with stuttering, established the nonprofit Stuttering Foundation in 1947 and endowed it throughout his lifetime. The Foundation provides free online resources at StutteringHelp.org for people who stutter and their families, as well as support for research into the causes of stuttering.

SOURCE The Stuttering Foundation