Some children are more vulnerable to noise than others
All children are not equally disturbed by noise. The younger the children are, the more noise jeopardizes their understanding of speech and memory. Children with impaired hearing must work harder to hear, which may disturb their school work. When the intensity of background noise increases, speech separation becomes more difficult. This particularly affects children with learning disabilities.
Background noise is more disturbing to speech separation when listening to a foreign language. Therefore, noise reduction is particularly important, when there are students in the class studying in a non-native language.
When sounds grab a child’s attention, studying is disrupted
Attention span refers to how easily a child’s attention shifts to stimulation from the environment. Low attention span means weak concentration. Some children have low and some have high attention span, but for most children it is something in between.
Low attention span is related to weaker success in school. Studies do not point out a clear reason for this, but one reason can be related to noise. For a child who has a low attention span, it might be difficult to ignore noise from the environment. Relatively quiet sounds can also distract such a child and interrupt studying.
It is possible to reduce noise and echo with a good sound insulation and by choosing silent equipment
Noise in classrooms can be reduced by building sufficient sound insulation and by choosing as quiet air conditioners as possible. Felt pads can be installed under classroom furniture, which makes it quieter to move them. Echo can be reduced by panels and textiles. Plants also reduce echo.
Keeping group sizes small is the most efficient way to prevent noise in a classroom
It is important to pay attention to structural factors affecting noise levels in classrooms, but they alone are not enough. The most important source of noise are the children themselves. The bigger the group, the more noise it creates. Therefore the most efficient way to prevent noise in classrooms is to keep group sizes small enough.
In Adapteo’s adaptable school buildings noise is minimized
A lot of attention has been paid to the design of Adapteo’s flexible school buildings in order to reduce noise and echo. The target is to have the best possible indoor experience.
– It is important for us to have the best possible soundproofing in our buildings. We are striving for good design to minimize voice propagation in the structure of adaptable buildings. In addition, the roofs of our spaces have an extra acoustic noise reduction. Our floors are mostly covered with a plastic mat that attenuates sounds from steps and furniture.
Niko Oksa
Technical Sales Manager, Adapteo Finland
Continuous development of the buildings’ technology
Adapteo continuously develops and improves the technology of its adaptable buildings.
“In our latest C90 building, we have been upgrading the ventilation devices and their components to reduce noise. The air conditioning in our buildings is now even quieter than before,” Oksa comments.
Lowering classroom temperature improves results
Correct temperature is another factor that affects students’ performance.