Who Figured? Kids Like Math More Than Reading and Writing

Asked to pick their favorite subject in school, 25.4 percent of children age 6-11 choose math, according to data from Mediamark Research Inc. (MRI), reports MarketingCharts.

Art is a close second, with 22.7 percent of children naming it as their favorite subject; reading is a distant third, with only 12.4 percent selecting it; and writing/English is the top subject among only 4.2 percent of children, MRI found.

Gender plays a role in what subject children identify as their favorite, according to the study:

• Boys are more likely to pick math as their most-preferred subject: 28.9 percent of boys versus 21.6 percent of girls.
• Whereas 26.7 percent of girls say their favorite subject is art (making this the top choice among girls), while only 18.9 percent of boys like art the best.

Age also seems a factor in children’s attitudes toward school subjects, the study found:

• For instance, the percentage of children who say science is their favorite subject increases with age: from 7.9 percent of children 6-7 years old saying it is their favorite subject, to 13.5 percent of children 10-11 years old saying so.
• However, interest in music declines as children get older, with 12.2 percent of children 6-7 years old saying it is their favorite subject, and only 6.2 percent of children 10-11 years old identifying it as their favorite.

“Given the well publicized - and often controversial - topic of women’s assumed math aversion, it’s interesting to see how well girls respond to math at the very beginning of their education,” said Anne Marie Kelly, VP of Marketing & Strategic Planning at MRI.

“Conversely, it’s worrying that these data show a decreased interest in reading as children age. Be that as it may, the data do demonstrate that age and gender have a lot to do with how children respond to subjects.”