Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

"Children Need Quiet to Learn, Study and Read"

  • 11/01/17

The headline of this article, as quoted by Arline L. Bronzaft, Ph.D., a New York City-based noise specialist, is so obvious, and yet so neglected in schools.

Bronzaft is a strong proponent for educating administrators, planners and architects to the hazards of noise in schools. “The key thing is to educate that noise is a health hazard,” she says. “It diminishes the quality of life. In schools, it robs children of learning.”

Bronzaft says it’s time to quit studying the effects of noise on learning and start implementing techniques to create quieter schools. It isn’t difficult. Here are some starting points for designing a quiet classroom.

  1. Install double-glazed windows to keep the noise out.
  2. Seal ducts properly to prevent noise from traveling from one room to another.
  3. Install doors that keep the noise out. “If a door is closed, I shouldn’t hear children walking through the hallway,” says Bronzaft.
  4. Install acoustical ceiling tiles to absorb noise made by children inside the classroom.
  5. Likewise, install carpeting to absorb noise made by children inside the classroom.
  6. Beware noisy air conditioning units. “We have to be cognizant of design issues, but also of appliances,” says Bronzaft. “We have to design for quiet in a broad sense, but also in a narrow sense in terms of specific products.”

“We have to convince people that noise isn’t just an annoyance,” Bronzaft says, “It’s a health hazard. It causes stress. If I’m stressed, it’s causing wear and tear on my body. Children can not learn in a noisy environment.”

Bronzaft encourages administrators to speak out and be active when it comes to noise. “They can’t wait for the city to make a school quiet. They have to speak on behalf of the children.”

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • St. Lucie County, Fla., Breaks Ground on New K–8 School

    St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie County, Fla., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new K–8 school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., for the design of the upcoming Ft. Pierce K–8 School, which comprises six buildings covering 215,000 square feet.

  • University of Rochester to Break Ground on New Student Life Center

    The University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y., recently began construction on a new Student Life building, according to a news release. The first floor will contain campus-wide gathering, program, and rehearsal space; the second floor will play home to the Greenbaum Center for Jewish Life.

  • Montclair State University Debuts New VR Facility

    Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., recently announced the completion of a new virtual reality learning facility developed in partnership with Dreamscape Learn, according to a news release. The 2,450-square-foot lab space is inside the College of Communication and Media building and will serve students pursuing careers in digital media, virtual reality, and content creation.

  • CSU Starts Construction on New Engineering Building

    Colorado State University in Denver, Colo., recently began clearing space for the construction of the new Don and Susie Law Engineering Future Technologies Building, according to a news release.