Too much noise at daycare? It doesn’t have to be that way, explains KAMAK room acoustics specialist Udo Dünisch in an interview with klein & groß.
He explains why some rooms get so loud and what can be done about it. Often, it’s the room itself.When the acoustics are poor, everyone has to speak louder to be heard. That leads to even more noise.
Why does noise bother us in the first place? Our ears are actually accustomed to the quiet of nature. In loud rooms, we feel stressed because our bodies think they’re in danger.
What can be done? Udo Dünisch has a few easy-to-implement tips: place tablecloths on hard tables, put covers on chair legs, and play with wooden toys rather than loud Lego bricks. Important to know: Daycare providers are legally required to ensure good acoustics. This protects both children and caregivers from excessive noise.
You can read more about this in the article “Much Ado About Much” from groß & klein. You can download it here
to the article "Much noise about nothing"
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Highlights the Benefits of an Acoustically Optimized Learning Environment
Learning is a lifelong process. Daycare centers, schools, and universities are key settings for acquiring knowledge. To ensure that learning and participation are accessible to everyone in these settings, suitable learning environments are essential—including in terms of room acoustics. After all, noise hinders learning. The Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) emphasizes that good acoustic design in educational institutions benefits everyone, on the occasion of Noise Awareness Day on April 24, 2024.
“Optimal room acoustics are essential for healthy learning and teaching,” says Dr. Florian Schelle, Head of the Noise Division at the IFA: “Speech intelligibility must be optimal, especially in the educational sector. Learners and teachers with hearing impairments, hearing aids, or cochlear implants require particularly good acoustic conditions to be able to follow spoken communication. The great thing is: Good room acoustics benefit everyone, not just people with hearing impairments.”
It generally reduces listening strain, promotes concentration and attention, and helps with language processing difficulties when communication takes place in a language that is not the learner’s native tongue. And as an added bonus, it boosts motivation and performance, while the negative effects of poor acoustics—noise, stress, and exhaustion—are avoided. Educational staff also benefit from this and can work longer and more healthily in their jobs.
And there is much to be done, as reverberant rooms and poor acoustics are not uncommon in the German education system. The basic requirement and by far the most effective improvement measure is an acoustic ceiling. It absorbs sound and thus reduces reverberation time. In addition, there are a variety of complementary measures such as impact sound insulation on the floors, felt or rubber glides under chairs and tables, or carpeting in particularly noisy areas.
Detailed guidelines can be found in state regulations; prevention specialists from the statutory accident insurance providers can advise and support educational institutions on this matter as needed.
Source: Newsletter 04/18/2024 - German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) e.V. - Umbrella Association of the Professional Associations and Accident Insurance Funds, Glinkastraße 40, 10117 Berlin
In many daycare centers, it’s as loud as a construction site. Our experts measure noise levels of over 80 decibels. No wonder we constantly hear the plea, “Please be quiet!” In an article in the magazine “Meine Kita,” Kameleon acoustics expert Udo Dünisch explains how to actually restore calm.
“It’s rarely just the children’s fault that hardly anyone can hear themselves speak in the group room,” writes Udo Dünisch, a sound engineer and specialist in speech intelligibility in educational spaces. Rather, long reverberation times are the root of the problem. The smooth surfaces of floors, walls, ceilings, and furniture reflect the sound produced by every noise and every spoken word. They then send it crisscrossing through the room. The noise level thus keeps rising. Anyone who wants to be heard automatically speaks louder—pure stress for everyone in the room.
In the Meine-Kita article, the expert explains how this noise can make people sick and what daycare providers can—and, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, must—do about it. He explains that sound absorbers can help create a quiet environment and outlines what needs to be considered during the planning phase. Finally, he offers four quick tips for reducing noise levels.
The article “Quiet, please!” from “Meine Kita” (Issue 03/2023) is available for download here:
Download article
