What was it like
learning in a one-room
schoolhouse? Experiential learning with early
childhood in mind
COURTESY OF MONTGOMERY PARKS, M-NCPPC.

BY HEATHER M. ROSS
T he Kingsley Schoolhouse in Little
Bennett Creek Valley was founded
in 1893 to serve the rural farming
community. Every year, about 20 children
between the ages of 6 and 12 would wake up
early and make their way to the one-room
schoolhouse. A wood-burning stove heated the class-
room, which featured a slate chalkboard,
simple wooden desks, a globe and, eventu-
ally, a Victrola record player. Each school
day began and ended the same way, with the
school bell ringing.

“I think it’s important to remember
the lessons of history and reflect,” Ralph
Buglass says.

Buglass, a Montgomery County native and
an avid history buff who has taught at John
Hopkins University, American University
and Montgomery College, is all about pre-
serving history.

He also co-authored “Images of America:
Rockville,” a pictorial history of the
city’s 250 years.

In looking at the history of the school-
house, which is now part of Little Bennett
Regional Park and open for tours seasonally,
there are lessons families can take by visiting
with their little one.

As preschoolers and kindergartners pre-
pare for the next chapter of their education
journey, they can learn from those that
came before them. What would it have been
like to study in a one-room schoolhouse?
How was education different? What do we
still use today?
Buglass paints a picture of a historic
school day in the Clarksburg schoolhouse.

Recess was still king
School began at 9 a.m. with the bell ring-
ing in the tower—something kids love to try
themselves on modern tours of the school.

The classroom would have anywhere from 15
to 25 kids in the one room, with the youngest
children up front.

Just like today, recess was the highlight
of the school day. Children would have
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