Launchpad to liftoff: Feltwell’s Kindergarten math in motion
The Artemis Generation Starts Here
As the world looks to Artemis II—NASA’s first crewed flight to the Moon since Apollo—Feltwell’s kindergarten team prepares learners with the habits future explorers need: precise language, clear reasoning, and resilient problem-solving.
Launchpad (Environment & Tools)
Debora Toorani surrounds students with a numerically rich environment where tools and terms are always within reach.
“Math time has specific drawers, leveled by abilities, that students take out to complete work,” Toorani said. “Each bin contains the supports necessary—for example, number bonds, Unifix cubes, number lines, dry-erase boards, dice, markers, and erasers. On our focus board, unit vocabulary is posted and modeled daily, so you’ll hear students using the terms in their groups.”
When learners struggle to explain addition, Toorani pairs number bonds with manipulatives and language such as accuracy and precision. Guided practice turns guesses into explanations—a structure that transfers to subtraction. When the launchpad is well equipped and language rich, students are ready for liftoff.
Course Corrections (Anticipating Misconceptions)
Every mission needs navigation. Romelo Ballesteros Burkett plans for predictable “gravity points”—one-to-one correspondence slips, cardinality confusion, and place-value reversals such as 12 and 21—to steer students back on course.
“I anticipate misconceptions based on developmental stages and prior experiences,” Ballesteros Burkett said. “I use hands-on materials and purposeful questioning to uncover misunderstandings early, then scaffold with discussion, modeling, and guided practice.”
He described addressing counting and place-value misunderstandings through targeted strategies.
“A student counted correctly but said the wrong total; we used Touch and Count and asked, ‘What number did we say last?’” he said. “In teen numbers, we built 12 and 21 with ten frames—‘How many tens? How many ones?’—so students could see how order changes value.”
When misconceptions are welcomed as fuel for discussion, students learn that course corrections are part of the journey.
Mission Comms (Academic Math Language)
Explorers need a shared language. Jolene DuBose ensures students can communicate their mathematical reasoning with precision.
“I incorporate the curriculum vocabulary for each unit, display it in writing, and reference it frequently,” DuBose said. “Anchor charts and focus walls provide visual supports. Once students grasp concepts, they use age-appropriate language to explain their understanding.”
To build confidence, she layers multisensory routines.
“Hand signals, repetition, peer discussion, and small- and whole-group work—mistakes are learning opportunities, and peers offer constructive suggestions,” she said.
In these moments, students are not just doing math; they are communicating like mathematicians—clearly, respectfully, and accurately.
Why It Matters
Feltwell’s Reveal Math provides the flight plan; teachers provide the guidance systems—tools within reach, language in the air, and responsive instruction that turns missteps into momentum. The throughline is simple: design the environment, anticipate the tricky spots, and make thinking visible through shared vocabulary and structured talk.
As Artemis advances toward a sustained presence on the Moon, Feltwell’s kindergarten teachers ensure students build the same core capacities astronauts rely on: precise vocabulary, sound reasoning, and steady confidence when the path bends. From launchpad to liftoff, students do not just learn mathematics—they practice the mindset of explorers.
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This effort supports the Department of War Education Activity Blueprint for Continuous Improvement by advancing Strategic Goal 1: Student Excellence and Strategic Goal 2: School Excellence through Strategic Initiative 1.1, ensuring students engage in rigorous and relevant learning experiences that prepare them for continued academic success.
