ing process. A targeted enhancement in one domain, such as an unexpected improvement in reading skills, seems to not only positively relate to outcomes in that specific area (reading) but also to measurable gains in other skill areas (spelling and math). The long-term nature of these effects highlights the cumulative and compounding value of early skill acquisition. This finding also underscores the importance of early educational interventions. It suggests that fostering growth in a single basic skill can catalyze broader skill development, due to the interconnectedness of varying skills. Part 3: Do environmental factors affect student performance? The final part of this dissertation explores whether environmental factors affect basic skill test scores within primary education. Using panel data on Dutch students’ skill levels and grid-level weather data, Chapter 5 investigates how the environment affects students’ skills test scores. More specifically, the chapter analyzes: How does temperature affect students’ basic skill test scores? The dissertation shows that temperature impacts students’ reading and math test scores. We focus on heat, which seems to have adverse effects on students’ test scores. Students score, on average, around 0.02 SD lower if the daily maximum temperature exceeds thirty degrees, compared to test scores in average Dutch temperatures. We identify sleep disruptions as a potential mechanism behind this effect. Furthermore, this chapter provides suggestive evidence that the construction year of the school in which the students make the test, serving as a rough proxy for school building quality, matters for the effects of temperature on test scores of students. 143
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