Acoustics in a child's room - proven methods for noise reduction for better concentration

Fortunately, improving home acoustics does not require a complete renovation – just a few simple and inexpensive tricks are enough to create optimal conditions for your child's development.

Why does noise bother a child more than it bothers you?

A child's brain works differently than an adult's. The ability to filter speech from background noise, known as the cocktail party effect, develops fully only during adolescence. This means that sounds that are just background noise to you may be an insurmountable barrier for your child.

• A child needs silence to understand: For a child to comprehend speech, it must be significantly louder than the surrounding sounds (even by +15 dB). For an adult, a small advantage (about +6 dB) is sufficient [Iglehart 2020].

• Reverberation is tiring and distracting: In empty, minimalist rooms with hard flooring, sound bounces off the walls for a long time, creating reverberation. This phenomenon causes words to blend together, forcing the child to exert tremendous effort to understand the text being read aloud or given instructions.

How to create the ideal learning space in 5 steps?

You don't have to invest in a professional recording studio. Just a few strategic changes can make the child's room acoustics supportive rather than obstructive to learning.

1. Place the desk in a strategic location: Ideally away from the door and the wall adjoining the kitchen or living room. Avoid placing it in the center of the room, where sounds come from all directions.

2. Add soft surfaces: This is the simplest and most effective way to combat reverberation. Thick curtains, rugs, soft cushions, or plush toys act as natural sound absorbers.

3. Fill bookshelves with books: Shelves full of books with irregular surfaces effectively scatter sound waves, reducing unpleasant echoes in the room.

4. Invest in simple solutions: There are aesthetically pleasing acoustic panels (e.g., made of PET felt) available on the market that can be hung on the wall as decor. Effective door seals can also help reduce noise coming from the hallway.

5. Establish home quiet rules: Agree that during homework time, you don't turn on the washing machine, vacuum cleaner, or loud music. These devices generate noise levels of 50-70 dB, which makes it effectively impossible to concentrate.

White noise and noise-cancelling headphones – help or trap?

In search of silence, parents often turn to modern technology. However, it is important to use them wisely.

• White noise: While it can help children with ADHD focus, for neurotypical children, it often has the opposite effect – it adds another distracting stimulus and masks important sounds. It is not a universal solution.

• Active noise-cancelling headphones (ANC): They are a great tool for short-term, intensive work in a noisy environment (e.g., when siblings are playing nearby). However, they should not be a constant part of learning. They primarily reduce constant, low-level noise, and their continuous use isolates the child from their surroundings and can be tiring. Treat them as support, not a primary solution.

The best gift you can give your child at the start of the new school year is peace and quiet. By investing in good acoustics for your home space, you are investing in their concentration, better academic performance, and overall well-being.

Scientific sources:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (2024). Classroom Acoustics. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org

• ANSI/ASA. (2010). ANSI/ASA S12.60-2010: Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements, and Guidelines for Schools. Acoustical Society of America.

• Crandell, C. C., & Smaldino, J. J. (2000). Classroom acoustics for children with normal hearing and with hearing impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 31(4), 362–370.

• Iglehart, F. (2020). Effects of reverberation and signal-to-noise ratio on speech recognition and listening effort in school-age children. Journal of Educational Audiology.

• Klatte, M., Lachmann, T., & Meis, M. (2010). Effects of noise and reverberation on speech perception and listening comprehension of children and adults in a classroom-like setting. Noise & Health, 12(49), 270–282.

• Leibold, L. J., Buss, E., & Calandruccio, L. (2021). Developmental effects in masked speech recognition. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 149(2), 1171–1185.

• PN-B-02151-2:2018-01. (2018). Building acoustics – Protection against noise in buildings – Part 2: Requirements for permissible noise levels in rooms. Polish Committee for Standardization.

• Shield, B., & Dockrell, J. (2008). The effects of environmental and classroom noise on the academic attainments of primary school children. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 123(1), 133–144.

• Söderlund, G. B. W., Sikström, S., & Smart, A. (2007). Listen to the noise: Noise is beneficial for cognitive performance in ADHD. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48(8), 840–847.

• World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). Night Noise Guidelines for Europe. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.

World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.