AOTW #6- Study: Ignoring background noise makes for better readers
ByAssociated Press, adapted by Newsela staff08.19.15Word Count731
Preschool children's ability to ignore background noise might indicate how well they can read when they are older. A new study looked at how children's brains respond when background noise interrupts their concentration on something else, like watching TV.
It is important to try and discover learning difficulties in children as early as possible. The sooner they are identified, the easier it is to treat them.
There are already many simple ways to judge if a preschool child will be good at reading or not. Researchers at Northwestern University have tried a scientific approach. They studied brain waves of young children, some as young as 3.
Vowels Easier Than Consonants
The Northwestern researchers believe background noise is important to understanding a child's ability to read. Some sounds, like consonants, are harder to hear in noisy places than others. D, B, T and Z might be more difficult to make out than letters like A, E, I, O or U because vowels tend to be spoken louder and longer. The researchers think children who can recognize consonants within background noise are more likely to be better readers than those who could not.
If their research is correct, it might be very important for understanding how children learn to read, said Nina Kraus, the scientist who led the study.
Kraus said that, once parents knows their child is at risk, they can start introducing them to different sounds. The early years are a very important time for children to learn skills like reading, she says.
When learning to read, children must first understand the relationship between sound and meaning. Preschoolers who can match sounds to letters earlier learn how to read more quickly.
Background Noise Makes Concentration Difficult
For example, some children might be slower learning the difference between a D and a B sound. If that is the case, then recognizing words and piecing together sentences could be affected too.
Background noise makes it difficult to concentrate on anything. The brain has very little time to tune out competing sounds and concentrate.
Hearing something distinct in noise is one of the most difficult things we ask our brain to do, Kraus said.
The new study used a machine called an EEG, or electroencephalogram. The EEG can measure the brain's response to different sounds. Electrodes were stuck to children's heads which then record the patterns of electric activity as nerve cells in the brain fire.
Then children sat down to watch a video. In one ear they listened to the soundtrack of the video they were watching. In the other ear they had an earpiece which occasionally piped in the sound "dah" along with the babble of people talking. The EEG was able to measure how the brain reacted to the noise.
Reading Improves With Exposure To Spoken Language
The study also helped the scientists design a model that could predict how children will perform on the literacy tests they take when they are young. Then they did a series of experiments with 112 children between the ages of 3 and 14.
The test lasted 30 minutes. It showed how well 3-year-olds performed a language-learning skill. The test also predicted how the same children would perform a year later on pre-reading tests. It is still too early to know how well these children will read when they get older.
Kraus and her team also tested older children. Their EEG scores matched their current reading levels in school. In some cases the test even showed a small number who had previously been diagnosed with learning disabilities.
The more time young children spend listening to people speak, the more likely they will be better learners — experts believe it is a key factor influencing the development of reading skills later in life.
Research Is Complicated, Expensive
The new study is useful for researchers trying to catch signs of children's reading difficulties earlier. However, it is unlikely to be widely used anytime soon. EEG machine research is common among brain experts but it is a complicated and expensive process. Kraus also said the research into background noise needs to be examined more closely.
She does believe they are heading in the right direction, though. She hopes to be able to test how the brain processes sound for children even younger than 3. Maybe one day her research will be part of testing the hearing of newborn babies.