Stutter-Affirming Activities to Foster a Welcoming Classroom

Contributor: Sarah Onofri, elementary school teacher and PWS

Stuttering is a natural part of communication diversity — but without understanding and acceptance, students who stutter may experience isolation, bullying, or shame. Starting a new spring semester is a chance to reset the classroom atmosphere and bring a fresh outlook to how students connect and communicate. As educators, we have a powerful opportunity to make sure all students feel welcome in our classrooms.

Creating a stutter-affirming, inclusive classroom helps students feel seen, heard, and valued. These three simple activities are designed to spark empathy, reduce stigma, and normalize the many ways people express themselves. Whether you're planning for National Stuttering Acceptance Week, Disability Awareness Month, or everyday learning, these lessons can have a lasting impact on all students.

1. Stutter-Affirming Read-Aloud

Objective

Help students understand that people communicate and experience the world in different ways, while learning how to be respectful, empathetic listeners and friends through storytelling.

Instructions

Choose a read-aloud that celebrates how people are unique and express themselves in different ways. As you read, pause to explore questions such as: What might the characters be feeling? How do they show their thoughts or emotions? Invite students to share their ideas and make connections, celebrating the many ways we are all different, express ourselves, and belong.

Recommended Books:

• I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott

This is a poetic journey through the emotional experience of stuttering, where a boy who stutters learns to embrace his speech with the help of his father and a connection to nature.

• Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor

Just Ask is about children with all sorts of different needs and abilities, and encourages us that when we come across someone who is different from us but we're not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

• A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond

This is a story written from the perspective of a child with autism to explore the different ways in which we communicate. In addition to verbal speech, we can use tablets and letter boards, facial expressions, hand gestures, and written words.

• It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr

This is a fun, colorful and affirming book that celebrates every kind of difference, from silly, like it’s okay to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub, to more serious, such as it’s okay to be a different color, or have no hair.

Sample Discussion Questions:

• What are some of the different ways people in the story express themselves?

• How do you think the character feels when they are communicating or trying to share their thoughts?

• What should we do when someone communicates or speaks differently than we do?

• How can we help others feel more comfortable when they communicate?

• Have you ever felt different or had to find your own way to express yourself? How did that feel?

• What can this story teach us about being kind, patient, and respectful listeners?

Educator Tip

Start an “All Kinds of Voices” read-aloud series that celebrates the many ways people are unique - how they think, feel, express themselves, and experience the world. Each story can offer a window into new perspectives and help students learn to listen with kindness and curiosity.

2. Create a “Ways We Communicate” Poster Wall

Objective

Help students recognize that communication happens in many ways, both verbal and nonverbal, and that every form of expression is valuable and deserves respect.

Instructions

1. Begin with a short discussion about how we share ideas, feelings, and needs. Encourage students to think beyond words—exploring expressions, movements, technology, art, or sound.

2. Have each student choose or invent a form of communication. Examples might include talking, sign language, writing, drawing, gestures, facial expressions, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) devices, music, or even emojis.

3. Ask them to create a mini-poster or drawing that shows their chosen communication method in action. They can include a few words or phrases to explain how it helps people connect.

4. Display everyone’s work together as a class collage or bulletin board titled “All Voices Welcome Here,” “Different Ways, Same Goal: Communication,” or even “How We Speak Without Words.”

5. Celebrate by taking a gallery walk where students can admire each other’s ideas and share what they learned.

Reflection Prompts:

• What would it feel like to communicate in a way that’s different from how you usually speak or share ideas?

• How can we make sure everyone feels included and understood, no matter how they communicate?

• What can you learn from the different ways that people express themselves?

Educator Tip

Use this activity to introduce or reinforce key Social Emotional Learning (SEL) words like respect, empathy, belonging, and identity. Encourage students to connect these words to real experiences, such as how it feels when someone listens carefully, how we can include classmates who communicate differently, and how everyone’s unique voice matters. You can even create a classroom word wall with these terms, adding student examples as you go.

3. Watch & Reflect: Voices That Inspire

Objective

Expose students to real stories of people who stutter, helping them build empathy, challenge stereotypes, and understand the diverse experiences of communication.

Instructions

Show a short video of a child, teen, or adult who stutters sharing their story or experiences. After watching, invite students to reflect through writing, talking, or drawing. Encourage students to connect the video to their own experiences and to the ideas of kindness, respect, and celebrating everyone’s unique voice.

Suggested Videos:

• Hi, I’m Ava, and this is my voice!

When Ava answers the prompt, “This is what stuttering looks like for me,” she’s helping change the story around stuttering for all of us. Take a listen as she explains her experience as a child who stutters!

• Sisters Who Stutter Share Their Stories of Courage

Sisters who Stutter is a teen organization that hosts monthly Zoom meetings for girls who stutter to come together and connect through their shared experiences. Listen to their stories!

• Tyler Gordon - What is it Like to Stutter?

Tyler Gordon is a 14-year-old artist prodigy whose work has been featured on the cover of Time Magazine! Tyler teamed up with our own NSA Teens to share what they wish other people knew about stuttering. 

• Check out the NSA YouTube Channel for more impactful videos!

Looking for more videos to learn about stuttering, while educating your students? Visit our YouTube page for more videos from people who stutter in our community. 

Sample Reflection Questions:

• What did you learn about stuttering from this video?

• What surprised you about the speaker’s story?

• What qualities did the speaker show besides their stutter?

• How do you think it felt for the speaker to share their story with others?

• What can we do to support and include people who communicate differently in our classroom or community?

Extension

Invite students to create their own “My Voice” video journals, drawings, or other creative projects to show what makes their way of communicating unique. They can share stories, ideas, gestures, drawings, or even sounds that express who they are. Encourage them to celebrate their individual style and, if they’re comfortable, share their creations with the class to highlight the many ways we all communicate.

More Tools to Build a More Welcoming Classroom

Looking for more stutter-affirming books and educator resources? We've got you covered. Visit WeStutter.org/teacher-educators.

Promoting inclusion doesn't require a perfect plan. It starts with listening, learning, and taking small, meaningful steps. These three activities are a great place to begin.