The Sound of Learning: Why classrooms
must be designed for listening
(Summary)
Karen Anderson
The American School Board Journal, pp. 26-28 October, 1997
As adults, our hearing is fully developed. This development allows us to
understand speech under less-than-perfect situations; however, children struggle
in noisy classrooms as their hearing has yet to mature.
Children in typical classrooms at some point during the day will have difficulty
hearing and understanding the teacher. It is proven that children who can’t hear
the intended signal perform poorly academically and suffer from behavioral
problems.
One of the problems lies in the fact that many classrooms that are designed
today are duplicates of acoustically inadequate designs from 50 years ago.
Classrooms designed decades ago did not have the scientific knowledge of
children’s speech perception. By considering classroom acoustics, you might
save your district money and trouble in the future. Improving classroom acoustics
will pay off for your district and students. Auditory paths of the brain need time to
mature. This time indicates that children under the age of 15 have a harder time
understanding speech under less-than-perfect listening conditions. Children also
face additional challenges when trying to understand spoken words including:
• Hearing loss due to colds, ear infections, or allergies
• Learning disabilities
• Non-native English speakers
• Hearing loss in one ear
A study of loudness or intensity required for people of different ages
demonstrated that young children require the spoken word to be significantly
louder than adults before they can clearly understand and recognize words. Poor
acoustics also affect teacher performance as well. Teachers try to overcome
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