Why Noise Keeps Your Child From Learning And How To Fix It

Did you know too much noise hinders your child's ability to learn? 
In Dr. Robert Cialdini's Pre-suasion, he cites several studies demonstrating how children learn less - lower reading ability, for example - in noisy classrooms.

• loud road traffic outside the classroom
• loud airplane traffic
• AND lots of busy posters/distractions on walls in the classroom.

What does noise do to learning?
Studies show that only ~20% of children in noisy classrooms learned to read.  
When the noise was eliminated in these same classrooms, ~80% of the children learned to read.

What can you do?

Be aware of the noise in your child's classroom. Is it by an airport or off a busy road?

• If your child's classroom is particularly noisy, talk to your child's teacher about soundproof mechanisms you could put on the window.  
• Maybe consider moving your child to a less noisy classroom.  

Does your child's teacher have a ton of un-correlated posters on the walls?

• Talk to your child's teacher.  Tell her that you noted a study that proved that too many posters on the wall actually prevented students from learning at their capacity.  You can tell her she can read about it in Dr. Robert Cialdini's Pre-suasion, Chapter 4.  

At home:

• Provide a place for your child to study and play at home that is not super noisy.  Children are learning lots through play.  
• If you live next to an airport or on a busy road, consider soundproofing your home. 
• Consider muting other noise distractions when your child is home - like the television.

Do you have questions? Leave a comment below.

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