Odds and trends
Percent of school-age children who consider swimming their favorite summer pastime: 62
Number of weeks students in Japan have for summer vacation, which always involves homework: 6
Extra hours of learning per week students in rural Pope County, Ark. get watching math and science lessons on five ceiling-mounted screens in their school bus: 10
Annual preschool tuition at New York’s exclusive Ethical Cultural Fieldston School: $35,915
Tuition San Francisco’s wealthiest parents pay for their toddlers to attend Ann and Gordon Getty’s invitation-only Playgroup Preschool: $0
Hours per day children in China typically spend at school, including a two-hour lunch break: 9 1/2
Percent of American school children who say their favorite recess game is kickball: 62
Percent of children who, given a time machine, say they’d use it to see their parents as kids: 59
Number of children every year who register for football, baseball, soccer, or another competitive youth sport: 20 million
Percent who quit by age 13 and never return: 70
Percent of students from kindergarten through second grade who would include laptop computers for every student if they could create their own school: 52
Percent of adults who yawn if they see someone else yawn: 50
Age when contagious yawning starts: 5
Sources: Scholastic.com, Factmonster.com, eschoolnews.com, ecfs.org, The New York Times, Familyeducation.com, Brokensecrets.com
