Noisy Homes Can Slow a Toddler's Vocabulary | WPN World People News

Background noise can hamper a toddler's ability to learn new words, a new study suggests.

"Modern homes are filled with noisy distractions such as TV, radio and people talking that could affect how children learn words at early ages," said study.

"Our study suggests that adults should be aware of the amount of background speech in the environment when they're interacting with young children," said expert.

Researchers from the university assessed the ability of 106 children, aged 22 to 30 months, to learn new words. They found they were more successful when their surroundings were quiet than when there was background noise.

But providing the children with additional language cues helped them overcome the detrimental effects of a noisy environment, according to the study.

"Learning words is an important skill that provides a foundation for children's ability to achieve academically," expert said.

Because of urban settings and crowding, homes in lower-income areas tend to have higher-than-normal noise levels, according to background notes with the study.

"Hearing new words in fluent speech without a lot of background noise before trying to learn what objects the new words corresponded to may help very young children master new vocabulary," said expert.

"But when the environment is noisy, drawing young children's attention to the sounds of the new word may help them compensate," expert added.

Source: HealthDay News