Organizations and research teams spend most of their time polling adults about kid-related issues and content. Highlights has taken the time to poll kids.

The magazine recently unleashed its annual State of the Kid survey, where kids ages 6 to 12 across the United States are asked what it's like to be a kid, according to its official website. This year, the survey said, "we asked them about parental distraction, their attitudes towards school, and their extra curricular activities."

When it comes to most-watched kids' TV shows, the survey said SpongeBob Squarepants and Phineas and Ferb reach the top of their list. Some of their favorite books are the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series by Jeff Kinney, or "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss for the younger crowd. 

"Our survey found that most kids are excited or happy as they head out for school in the morning [56 percent of respondents], but these positive feelings do decline as kids get older [48 percent of 11-to-12-year olds]," said the survey. 

When it comes to attentiveness in school, "22 percent responded that they were bored in school [slightly higher among boys at 25 percent and with older kids, 27 percent of 11-to-12 year olds], according to the survey. 

Another point to note is that 9.2 percent of kids said they were sleepy or tired as an unprompted answer," the survey said. "This aligns with a result we saw in our 2009 State of the KidTMsurvey, where we asked kids if they had an extra hour in their day, what they would do with it —6.6 percent said sleep."

"As kids age, boys and girls experience different feelings as they head off to school," said the survey. "More boys than girls experience boredom at an earlier age. By 5th grade, more girls than boys feel nervous and stressed."

The survey looks at the question where lack of sleep affects kids' ability to focus on school. The survey related to a study from the National Sleep Foundation, which indicates that "many children, particularly those between the ages of 6 and 10, are not getting as much sleep as they need."

"The NSF recommends that children ages 6 to 10 get 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night, but a 2014 poll of parents found that most kids in this age range are only getting an average of 8.9 hours," said the study.

Another question in the survey asks: "what part of school makes you feel good about yourself or proud?"

"While good grades are a timeless source of validation and pride for kids, other aspects of school also engage school-aged kids and vary by both age and gender," the study said. A quarter of the respondents, according to the results, mentioned that "good grades made them feel proud." Other kids mentioned math, gym class, friends, recess, reading, and art class.

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Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor