Study Warns: Heat Waves Weaken Reading and Math Skills in Young Children

A recent scientific study revealed that the effects of rising temperatures due to climate change extend to the deepest cognitive levels in young children, where exposure to extreme heat is linked to a significant decline in early foundational skills.

The research published in the "Journal of Pediatric Psychology and Medicine for 2025" indicates that children aged 3 to 4 years who are frequently exposed to extreme heat show a decline in reading and writing skills, as well as in mathematical and numerical abilities. These findings represent an important development in understanding the impact of climate, after previous evidence focused on cognitive performance decline in adults and adolescents due to heat, with studies showing that exceeding 32 degrees Celsius could reduce cognitive abilities in adults by about 10%, and that heat waves could negatively affect students' test scores.

This current study is among the first to analyze the impact of heat on foundational skills during the sensitive early childhood stage, where the basic cognitive structures that determine future educational pathways are formed.

The research team relied on unique data from the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) that included 19,607 children from Georgia, Gambia, Madagascar, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Palestine, covering the period from 2017 to 2020. The researchers linked this data to high-resolution temperature readings from the ERA5-Land system, using precise statistical models that account for factors such as poverty level, maternal education, and seasonal and regional differences.

The results showed that children exposed to average maximum temperatures exceeding 32°C were less likely to follow the normal developmental trajectory, especially in reading and math areas. The impact was more pronounced among the most vulnerable groups, such as children from poor families, those living in overcrowded cities, or those lacking access to clean water and proper sanitation services.

The researchers believe that extreme heat may hinder brain development through multiple mechanisms including: dehydration affecting brain functions, repeated activation of the stress response system, inflammation or damage to nerve cells due to difficulty in dissipating heat, as well as sleep disturbances, reduced physical activity, and limited opportunities for play and social interaction, all of which are vital for early cognitive growth.

While the authors emphasize the need for more extensive and accurate studies, they stress the clarity of the current results in demonstrating the harm that extreme heat causes to children's cognitive development. The study team wrote: "These results highlight the urgent need for policies and interventions to protect child development in an increasingly warm world."

These warnings are particularly significant as more than a third of the world's children are exposed to increasing heat waves, making it a wake-up call for those in the education and health sectors, as well as policymakers. The research indicates that the future of learning, especially in hot or infrastructure-limited countries, may face a direct threat if decisive actions are not taken to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures on children.