Stuttering usually begins at 3 or 4 when children begin using sentences. The added cognitive demands to formulate sentences, coordinate longer strings of sounds when articulating seem to have something to do with time of onset. Is there a history of stuttering in the family? Sometimes people rush and don’t stutter but add fillers like “um, um, um…” especially people who are active, chatty with lots to say—that could be “cluttering.” They tend to want to say things faster than they can speak. True stuttering is characterized by struggle and tension. Blocks where a person can’t get past a sound and it finally bursts out as in “the ….(“lip tightening to say b ,)….BOY went home.” Or repetition “The b,b,b b boy went home.” Or prolongations “Heeeeeeeee went home.” Most important right now is not to call attention to your child’s speech. Give them plenty of time to say what they want to say, DONT finish sentences or tell them to slow down. Just show you are interested in what they have to say—not how they say it. Make sure you allow time for your child to share their thoughts and feelings. Try to find ways to minimize stress whenever possible. It is common for kids to “grow out” of stuttering naturally at this age. Others don’t.