Bad Classroom Acoustics Can Inhibit Learning.

• Position: Brief Article

Researchers at Ohio State University, Columbus, have found that the acoustics of many classrooms are poor enough to make listening and learning difficult for children. The study of 32 classrooms in central Ohio primary schools found that only two met the standards recommended by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The findings held across economic boundaries. In rural, urban, and suburban classrooms--old school buildings and new--background noise and echoes were prominent enough to hamper the learning of children with even mild hearing disorders. "One of the worst classrooms was in a school district that had some of the better classrooms," notes Gail Whitelaw, adjunct associate professor of speech and hearing science. "So you can't just say the acoustics in a district are good or bad. It varies by the room. It's like real estate--what matters is location, location, location."

Lawrence Feth, professor of speech and hearing science, explains that sound bounces off hard surfaces, and classrooms...