Why Smart Kids Still Struggle to Speak Clearly

Why Smart Kids Still Struggle to Speak Clearly

From The Growth Lab Podcast by Luba Patlakh-Kaplun

January 30, 2026 · 15 min · Season 3 · Episode 4

About this episode

Luba discusses why intelligent children may struggle with speech clarity and offers insights for parents on addressing these issues.

If your child is smart, understands everything, follows directions but still struggles to speak clearly this episode is for you. Your child isn't lazy or careless. This has nothing to do with intelligence. In this solo episode, Luba breaks down one of the most misunderstood areas of speech development: why brilliant kids struggle with articulation, motor planning, and speech clarity and what parents can do about it. Most parents are told to "wait and see" or that their child will "grow out of it." But here's what they're NOT told: Speech clarity issues often stem from myofunctional disorders, airway problems, tongue posture, and motor pathway issues—not lack of effort. In this episode, Luba explains: Articulation vs. Motor Planning (why your child knows the word but can't coordinate the sound) Tongue Posture Matters (where the tongue should rest and what happens when it doesn't) Mouth Breathing & Airway Issues (how open mouth posture, tongue ties, tonsils, allergies impact speech) Weak Lip Seal (what a full lip seal looks like and why it's critical) The Myofunction Connection (how breathing, tongue position, and oral strength create the foundation for clear speech) Missing…

People in this episode

Host: Luba Patlakh-Kaplun

Topics covered

  • speech development
  • articulation
  • motor planning
  • myofunctional disorders
  • airway problems
  • tongue posture
  • parenting

Keywords

  • speech clarity
  • articulation
  • motor planning
  • tongue posture
  • myofunctional disorders
  • airway issues
  • parenting advice

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