Hanover  - Children are exposed to many loud settings in kindergarten and on the playground.

Therefore, experts say, there should be a zone in the home that is free of noise, such as radios and other things that can create shrill sounds.

Constant noise aggravates the sensitive hearing of children and makes many of them aggressive and nervous, according to German accident insurance groups in Hanover and Lower Saxony.

Children who are stressed out by the amount of noise they must tolerate often are delayed in speech development and in their ability to concentrate compared with other children their age.

About one child in three lacks age-appropriate audio perception when they are registered for elementary school, experts say.

Games can help children learn how to use their hearing properly, hearing experts say. One example is a game in which children have to identify sounds within a defined period of time. Children get points for every sound they hear and can describe or imitate. (dpa)