This study examined activities used during elementary school math and reading instruction. Teachers reported their use of cooperative, competitive, and individual activities in math and reading, their subjective evaluations of teaching each subject, and their level of focus on promoting students' interests. Analyses indicated that teachers used more competitive activities in math than reading. Additionally, individual math activities increased across grades whereas individual reading activities were similar across grades. Finally, the appeal of teaching both reading and math declined across elementary school grade. Results are discussed in terms of teachers' goals and student motivation.