Lewis ['13] secured records from English children in elementary schools of the order of preference of all the studies listed below. He reports the results in the following table of percents: =================================================================== | TOP THIRD OF | MIDDLE THIRD OF | LOWEST THIRD OF | STUDIES FOR | STUDIES FOR | STUDIES FOR | INTEREST | INTEREST | INTEREST ----------------+--------------+-----------------+----------------- Drawing | 78 | 20 | 2 Manual Subjects | 66 | 26 | 8 History | 64 | 24 | 12 Reading | 53 | 38 | 9 Singing | 32 | 48 | 20 | | | Drill | 20 | 55 | 25 Arithmetic | 16 | 53 | 31 Science | 23 | 37 | 40 Nature Study | 16 | 36 | 48 Dictation | 4 | 57 | 39 | | | Composition | 18 | 28 | 54 Scripture | 4 | 38 | 58 Recitation | 9 | 23 | 68 Geography | 4 | 24 | 72 Grammar | -- | 6 | 94 =================================================================== Brandell ['13] obtained data from 2137 Swedish children in Stockholm (327), Norrköping (870), and Gothenburg (940). In general he found, as others have, that handwork, shopwork for boys and household work for girls, and drawing were reported as much better liked than arithmetic. So also was history, and (in this he differs from most students of this matter) so were reading and nature study. Gymnastics he finds less liked than arithmetic. Religion, geography, language, spelling, and writing are, as in other studies, much less popular than arithmetic. Other studies are by Lilius ['11] in Finland, Walsemann ['07], Wiederkehr ['07], Pommer ['14], Seekel ['14], and Stern ['13 and '14], in Germany. They confirm the general results stated. The reasons for the good showing that arithmetic makes are probably the strength of its appeal to the interest in definite achievement, success, doing what one attempts to do; and of its appeal, in grades 5 to 8, to the practical interest of getting on in the world, acquiring abilities that the world pays for. Of these, the former is in my opinion much the more potent interest. Arithmetic satisfies it especially well, because, more than any other of the 'intellectual' studies of the elementary school, it permits the pupil to see his own progress and determine his own success or failure.