"Please be quiet!"
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: