Montessori School of Cedar Lane

I caused a small explosion in a child’s brain on Saturday (metaphorically speaking).

I was in Chippenham for a Rubik’s cube tournament, and a competitor I know came along his brother (8 years old and autistic) for the first time. His mum pointed me out, saying “this is Chris – he’s autistic too! He’s got the same kind of awesome brain that you have!”
The boy was immediately dismissive, saying “autism isn’t a good thing, it just means you think different to everyone. Why’s that good?”
He may have asked this rhetorically, but I gave a genuine answer. There was an opportunity here.

“Do you want to know why autism exists?” I asked.
“Why?”
I sat down to give my answer. (And a quick disclaimer- I didn’t come up with this on the spot. I speak professionally about neurodiversity using this analogy, and it works well.)

“Ok, imagine you have ten people on a desert island, they have one hour to build a shelter before a storm arrives, and all of them have exactly the same brain. They only have one set of ideas, one way of looking at the problem, and will probably only come up with one solution.
But now imagine you have ten different people on that island – one’s neurotypical, one’s autistic, one’s dyslexic, one has ADHD and so on.
THAT way, you have TEN different sets of ideas, and they’re ten times more likely to get that shelter built- as long as they listen to each other.”

He looked like he immediately understood. Then I finished by saying:
“THAT’s why autism exists. Because humans do so much better when they can think about problems in lots of different ways!”

And then BANG. The look on his face…
People talk all the time about seeing the instant someone has an “I get it!” moment, but in my experience they’re rarely as stark as that boy’s face – from the wide expanding of the eyes, to the looking away from me in a moment of “wow, I need to process this for a second”.

Best moment of the day, by far. (And this was a day when I solved a 7x7x7 cube in under seven minutes. Three times.)

One of my ‘catchphrases’ when speaking is “human progress relies on diversity of thought”. It’s a fact that our species relies on, which is all too easily forgotten when we're too busy pathologising difference, or treating autistic people as inferior (and when autistic people are busy obediently believing it).

Like I said, I don’t just use this analogy with children. I use it with companies when discussing why neurodiversity in the workplace isn’t just a piece of performative inclusion, but an active part in improving your company. I use it in school staff training. I use it in general conversation while geeking out about neurodiversity.

I won't be forgetting the look in that boy’s face for a long time. In a day packed with speedsolving Rubik’s cubes, that was by far the most important moment.

Spread the word, we are enrolling!!! We have availability for summer camp and 2023/2024 school year. Call us and schedule a tour. We would love to show you around our lovely school!

Montessori School of Cedar Lane The Montessori School of Cedar Lane is a private preschool for children 3-6 years of age. Founded in 1971 and based on the research and teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori, MSCL serves families in the Fairfax, Vienna, Falls Church, and surrounding areas.

Attention all MSCL Alumni!

This Friday evening (5:30pm - 7:30pm), the Montessori School of Cedar Lane will be hosting a 50th Anniversary Spring Fiesta.

All current and past students of MSCL are invited to come and join in the celebration of this major milestone in our school's history.

(This is also a *golden* opportunity to get reacquainted with some old friends, and some silver-haired teachers 😉)

We look forward to seeing you!

Today in Mighty Girl history, Maria Montessori, the Italian educator and physician who created the Montessori Method, was born in 1870. Montessori's educational philosophy of encouraging children's learning through discovery is now used in an estimated 30,000 schools worldwide.

Montessori grew up in Italy and enrolled in the University of Rome's school of medicine in 1893. As a woman, she faced hostility from both fellow students and professors, even being forced to perform dissections alone after hours as it was deemed inappropriate for her to attend classes with men in the presence of a naked cadaver. Despite the obstacles, she graduated in 1896 and set up a private practice.

Montessori rapidly became an advocate for both women's rights and the rights of children with disabilities. She regularly worked with children facing these challenges, and she was a major supporter of their right to access education. In 1901, she left her practice to engage in further study in psychology and educational philosophy, and began considering how to adapt the methods she used for general classroom use.

In 1906, Montessori was asked to oversee the education of children of working low-income parents in Rome. At first, it was outfitted like a standard classroom of the day, but as Montessori observed the children and provided them with the resources she had developed, she discovered that they preferred practical activities to toys and that, if they were given a free choice of activities, they would develop spontaneous self-discipline.

In response, Montessori decided to transform the traditional classroom: she replaced the large furniture with child-sized desks and chairs, put tools and activities on low, child-accessible shelving, and included more exercises that encouraged caring for the environment and the self, such as cooking, gymnastics, and care of pets, as well as practical activities such as sweeping, self-dressing, and hand washing. She also introduced literacy materials like moveable cutout letters and picture cards with labels, which resulted in her students becoming proficient in reading and writing far sooner than was expected with traditional methods.

Her Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) was a great success, and by 1907 another had been opened in Rome. The independence, concentration, and self-discipline of her students began attracting attention from journalists, politicians, and educators, and in 1909, Montessori held her first teacher training course. In 1911, Montessori methods had been adopted in Italian and Swiss public schools; by 1912, Montessori schools were being planned in places from Paris to India, and Montessori societies were founded in the US and UK. By the time she died in 1952, Montessori had revolutionized the way educators and parents thought about child development. Her legacy is obvious in both public school systems and in the Montessori schools that can be found around the world today.

To learn more about her work and educational philosophy, check out the insightful biography "Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work" at http://amzn.to/1u0EQA6

She is also the subject of a new picture book for ages 5 to 8: "Maria Montessori" at https://www.amightygirl.com/maria-montessori

For an excellent book that explores how parents can support children's holistic development, we highly recommend "The Parents We Mean To Be: How Well-Intentioned Adults Undermine Children's Moral and Emotional Development" at https://www.amightygirl.com/the-parents-we-mean-to-be

Many of the toys featured A Mighty Girl's toy section were selected with a similar philosophy to Maria Montessori's in mind -- we've sought out high-quality toys that would help children to exercise their imagination while mastering basic skills and growing confident in their abilities to be self-directed learners.

If you're new to A Mighty Girl, mouse over the "Toys' button on our main menu bar to open our toy directory which is divided into six main categories: Toys/Games, Imaginative Play, Arts/Crafts, Outdoor Play, For Baby, and Kids' Gear. To start exploring our selection of over 2,000 girl-empowering toys, visit https://www.amightygirl.com/toys

The first day of school is now thrust upon us, and the anxiety of ‘that great transition’ is slowly dominating our thoughts and attitudes — even for those seasoned veterans.

Please know that your child’s teacher is there to help the whole family with this adjustment, and that there are also a few things that you can do to help foster a smoother, more natural transition.

9 Things A Preschool Teacher Wants Parents To Know About The First Day Of School Whether it's coming up in a few days or a few weeks, the first day of school always stirs a mixture of emotions in both kids and parents. And in the case of the first day of preschool, those emotions are intensified about a million times. Trust me,…

Opinion | Let Children Get Bored Again Boredom teaches us that life isn’t a parade of amusements. More important, it spawns creativity and self-sufficiency.

A great article on variables to consider when weighing the benefits & drawbacks of extracurricular activities.

"Play is not frivolous;" Dr. Montessori would agree.

Why extracurriculars make parents miserable Being less scheduled after school makes parenting more fun, and that's good for your kids.

As Thomas Aquinas once said, “It is better to illuminate than merely to shine. To deliver to others contemplated truths, then merely to contemplate.”

“...whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it...”

~ Gandhi

As the start of school is fast approaching, many children (and their parents!) will experience feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress of the ‘unknown.’ While the technical abilities of the long-tenured staff and teachers at the Montessori School of Cedar Lane serve as an effective part in this transition, it is the insight and compassion of our 2nd & 3rd year students who become the most valued resources in aiding a new student in connecting to the Montessori classroom.

Each year, the future leaders of our society continue to foster generations of confidence and fellowship for the greater good, ad infinitum.

As adults who are daily witnesses of this extraordinary power, our pride in their humanity is outweighed only by our awe in its gentle application.

Further evidence of the efficacy of Dr. Montessori’s findings:

“[that] the most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age of six. For that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed. But not only his intelligence; the full totality of his psychic powers.”

(from ‘The Absorbent Mind’)

Google Founders Talk Montessori Larry Page and Sergey Brin discuss their experience as Montessori students.

“The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.”

~ Maria Montessori

So much love for this ❤️

Study: Montessori Education Erases Income Achievement Gap Historically, low-income children have been at a disadvantage to their higher-income peers when it comes to school performance. This new research turns that idea on its head.

Care of the environment.

The children are tending their herb garden - mint, basil, chives, parsley, and thyme.

A wonderful day for lemonade!

Squaring 10 the Ancient Roman way; square chains with Roman Numeral writing.

"To get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it with."

~ Mark Twain

A beautiful day to work and play!

A special project for the graduates every Friday.

(additional photos available on the MSCL group site)

A visit from our 'Storyteller' today: Miss Barb (Barbara Effron)

We take our music VERY seriously!

... because, sometimes, the bottom side of the table is dirty too.

The joys of sensorial exploration

Another busy day.