Fall Staff Development Day: Children’s Communication and Musical Exploration

By Mischa Rosenberg, Teacher

On October 9, 2023, Bing Nursery School staff gathered in Tower House for Fall Staff Development Day. Following a lively session exploring children’s imaginations with Bing’s Emma Vallarino and Adrienne Lomangino [see page 30 for article], the day featured a research presentation about how noisy environments affect children’s communication and a high-spirited introduction to the ukulele with Bing’s music specialist, Leslie Hart.

Hart led an informal session with Bing staff on the ukulele and a song swap. She shared her collection of “ukes” with teachers, inviting them to pluck, strum, and learn at their own pace throughout the school year. For many staff members, this was their first time trying the diminutive, stringed instrument, while those with more experience shared their own songs and techniques. Together, they practiced a handful of favorite classroom songs, including “The Bear Missed the Train.” The sound-rich and laughter-filled session was a joyful and informative way to deepen and expand Bing’s in-class musical exploration. Hart promised there would be more opportunities for musical growth by initiating a weekly drop-in lunchtime ukulele gathering. [See page 38 for an interview with Hart.]

The featured presentation on the impact of noise on communication was delivered by Aaron Chuey, a fifth-year doctoral student working under Hyowon Gweon, an associate professor in Stanford’s psychology department. As part of his research, Chuey asked: How do children communicate when it’s noisy? He noticed that adults change how they communicate depending on the noise level—speaking louder in noisy settings and using physical gestures when it’s especially hard to hear. While this may seem an obvious and automatic response to adults, adjusting how we communicate in noisy settings requires an understanding of others’ perceptual access: What can someone else perceive, and how can I efficiently transmit information to them? Chuey was curious to learn how this understanding develops, and if it is already present in early childhood.

In a study he designed, researchers asked children to teach how a complicated toy worked to “Gus,” a large mouse doll. In one condition, Gus wore headphones that played loud music—Van Halen, specifically. The volume was loud enough to hear through the headphones, making the environment quite loud for Gus but not for the children themselves. In a second condition, the headphones were silent.

Chuey found that children were more likely to use verbal explanations in the second condition, when it was quiet. However, when the headphones were noisy, the children talked less and were more likely to demonstrate the toy to Gus, relying on Gus’ vision rather than his hearing. Thus, children in the study adapted how they spoke based on Gus’ auditory experience. When it was easy to hear, they talked more. But when it was noisy, they found other ways, like pointing or demonstrating, to get their message across.

Chuey’s research also suggests that where children are raised might affect how they communicate. For instance, children who grow up in noisy environments might naturally talk louder or rely more heavily on gestures. Interestingly, some children tried to turn down the volume on Gus’ headphones or wait for the music to stop playing before they attempted to teach him about the toy.

In the future, Chuey wants to delve deeper. He plans to see how environmental noise outside of the headphones—perceived as audible to both the children and Gus—affects how children explain the toy. He also wants to study situations where Gus can’t see well, to understand how communication changes when vision—rather than hearing—is limited.

Chuey’s work connects with other research, including that of Rondeline Williams, a fellow PhD student in the psychology department, on how noise affects language learning, including among deaf children with cochlear implants. Together, these studies aim to give us a clearer picture of how our surroundings shape the way we communicate and understand each other.

Moreover, Chuey’s research shows that communication isn’t just about words. It’s about adapting to the sounds around us, especially for children trying to communicate in a noisy world.

The staff development day offered ample chances to connect with each other, reflect on new research and our educational practice, and actively learn through hands-on exercises. Staff members left with new seeds to continue growing our strong community together.