Play School | Video

Kristin Clouston | 12/12/2012

Next year, Bismarck High School will take on a freshman class, but this week, there are even younger children attending there. Three, four and five year olds are attending Play School, and while they aren`t being graded, their teachers are.

Child development students are learning Play School isn`t all fun and games.

"The biggest challenge was honestly just trying to figure out the activities and seeing which can fit into each category and still be fun for the kids," said senior Kaitlin Parr.

Each student has to plan and teach an activity.

"We`re doing different types of activities with kids and we`re trying to incorporate a different type of development in each activity like when we`re doing coloring or when we`re doing arts and crafts we`re helping improve fine motor skills," Parr said.

The little kids don`t know it, but they`re being watched from a secret room behind the mirror.

"The light is off. So there is like three layers of glass and they can`t see us when the light is off," said sophomore Erica Pilot.

The students also take turns working as observers.

"We have to describe what are we seeing, are they having fun, do they actually like these activities that they`re doing and it`s a scale from one to five, five being the highest," Pilot said.

Those who aren`t teaching or observing work as aides and say working with the kids is both a joy and and an eye opening experience.

The class also raised the most money in a district-wide challenge to provide new books for children. They collected $420 for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

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