Unlocking Student Potential through Visible Thinking with Shelley Love de Feliú

In today’s Equipping ELLs Podcast episode, Beth Vaucher speaks with Shelley Love, an experienced educator and instructional coach, about the power of visible thinking strategies for supporting multilingual learners. Visible thinking is a framework designed to make students’ thinking visible—allowing teachers to better understand their learning processes and helping students to articulate and deepen their thoughts.

Shelley, the founder of Raising Thinkers and Raising Mathematicians, explains how visible thinking routines can be applied in diverse classrooms, especially for students who speak multiple languages. Whether you’re teaching math, language arts, or any other subject, these strategies break down language barriers and foster student participation through visual tools, peer collaboration, and oral reasoning.

Why Visible Thinking Matters for Multilingual Learners

Multilingual learners often face challenges in fully participating in class discussions. They may feel hesitant to share their thoughts due to language barriers or a lack of confidence in their language skills. Visible thinking strategies address this challenge by creating low-barrier, high-ceiling tasks that allow all students, regardless of language proficiency, to engage deeply with content. These routines provide students with the opportunity to express their thinking in a supportive and collaborative environment.

One of the most effective visible thinking strategies for multilingual learners is the “What makes you say that?” routine. This simple question encourages students to elaborate on their thinking, helping them to explain their reasoning, make inferences, and back up their ideas with evidence. This approach not only promotes oral language development but also encourages critical thinking and reasoning, skills that are vital for multilingual learners to master.

Practical Strategies to Implement in Your Classroom

Shelley shares several visible thinking routines that teachers can easily implement to foster engagement and critical thinking in the classroom. Here are some strategies:

What makes you say that?: This routine helps students explain their reasoning and connect their thoughts to visual cues or prior knowledge. It’s an excellent way to scaffold language for multilingual learners.

Think-Pair-Share: This strategy gives students time to think individually, then discuss their ideas with a partner before sharing with the whole class. It lowers the stakes for multilingual learners by allowing them to rehearse their thoughts in a smaller, less intimidating setting.

See-Think-Wonder: A great way to activate prior knowledge and encourage inquiry. By looking at an image or artifact, students observe, think critically, and ask questions. This routine supports multilingual learners by providing visual prompts and encouraging group discussions.

Building Confidence with Visible Thinking

One of the biggest benefits of visible thinking routines is that they build students’ confidence. When multilingual learners feel that their contributions are valued—regardless of their language proficiency—they are more likely to engage in discussions, ask questions, and share their ideas. This type of inclusive classroom environment promotes self-esteem and empowers all students to become active participants in their learning.

Getting Started with Visible Thinking

Shelley recommends starting small when implementing visible thinking strategies. Pick one routine that resonates with you, whether it’s “What makes you say that?” or “Think-Pair-Share.” Test it out in your classroom, give yourself grace, and see how your students respond. You’ll likely find that these simple strategies not only enhance student engagement but also deepen their understanding of the content.

Incorporating visible thinking into your classroom doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By starting with just one routine, you can begin to see the transformative impact on your students’ thinking and learning.

For more resources, be sure to check out the Project Zero Visible Thinking Toolkit and explore Shelley’s podcast Raising Thinkers for additional insights into supporting your students’ learning journeys.

Links and Resources

More about Equipping ELLs:

We all know that teaching isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be this hard. Equipping ELLs is a podcast for both ESL specialists and homeroom teachers who are looking for effective and engaging ways to support their English Language Learners without adding to their endless to-do list. Tune in each week to hear tips, strategies, and inspirational stories that will empower you to better reach your ELL students, equip them with life-long skills, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and parents.

Your host, Beth Vaucher, is the founder of Inspiring Young Learners. She is an ESL certified homeroom teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the US and internationally. Her background of M.Ed in ESL and Curriculum and Instruction combined with her experience has led her to develop a bestselling newcomer curriculum that has sold in over 90 countries around the globe. She brings a different perspective to teaching ELLs from her years teaching and living abroad and working with ELLs from around the world. You will walk away from each episode with the ideas and tools you need to transform your experience as a teacher and cultivate a thriving and welcoming environment for your ELL students.

Beth

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