Noise levels in infant-toddler early childhood classrooms: individual variation and relationships with social and physical features of the room

Exposure to excessive noise in childhood has been negatively associated with children’s language development, wellbeing and learning. This study describes the noise levels in infant-toddler early childhood (ECEC) classrooms and identifies social and physical room features associated with individual differences. Noise surveys of unoccupied and occupied decibel levels and reverberation times were undertaken in 37 infant-toddler rooms. The average occupied noise was 67.43 dB (dBA; SD = 3.55dBA) which was around 20dBA noisier than the unoccupied room. The average reverberation time was 0.6 seconds (SD = 0.25s). Individual differences in dBA were associated with room size and the age composition of the group. Two case studies of classrooms exhibiting different noise levels illustrate how social and physical features combine to exacerbate or suppress noise. With no established noise guidelines for ECEC services, this study establishes an evidence base that can inform policy and practice efforts to improve acoustic environments of ECEC services.