To update the findings of a 1971 study, a study seeking to identify the interest patterns and media preferences of fourth and fifth grade children was undertaken in 1978. The responses of 731 children to an interest inventory were subjected to separate factor analytic and analysis of variance procedures. The former were used to cluster degree-of-interest responses, and the latter were used to compare cluster scores of the subgroups to determine whether they varied according to geographic location or race. Sex as a factor was determined by an examination of the children's rank-order patterns. The results revealed the following: boys' responses clustered into six groupings (presented in rank order)--sports, media, historical/adventure, informational, fun and fantasy, and social empathy/arts; girls' responses clustered into eight groupings--media, animals, fun and fantasy, social empathy, sports, arts, historical, and informational; geographical location accounted for some differences while race accounted for very few differences; and separate, across-clusters analyses of variance of the "read" and "watch" scores revealed that the girls had significantly higher read scores and, to a lesser degree, higher watch scores than did the boys. The urban sample had a significantly higher watch score than did the suburban sample, and race did not account for any significant differences; an overall preference for viewing over reading for all categories was evident. (Author/FL)