How to Use the Every Voice Method Planning Guide

The Every Voice Method is the instructional approach that we recommend when using VNG visuals during structured conversations, and we've created a planning guide for educators new to implementing it.

The Every Voice Method is comprised of three steps;

1. Pose and Prepare. We present a question to the class as a thinking opportunity, and have students conduct a kinetic action while thinking about the question and looking at the visual. This activates students' thinking and gives them the think time they need.
2. Share. We have students share with their partners or table groups, and we specify who will share first. This validates their answers and/or gives them new ideas.
3. Amplify and Celebrate. We call on multiple students randomly, and for each answer we respond by paraphrasing, asking follow-up questions, or making connections to other students' ideas. This creates a whole-class discussion where participation is more highly valued than whether a student has a perfect response.

In this planning guide, teachers can have a clear idea of how to structure and navigate the small-group and whole-class conversation. It includes example kinetic activation signals, ideas for which students might share first in their small groups, and sentence stems for the teacher to plan out possible students' responses and prepare their own response. The completed guide is simple to follow, so that teachers who are well versed with the Every Voice Method or teachers who are doing it for the first time can facilitate an academic discussion with natural ease.

This planning guide can also be found on our Resources page.