A KWL Chart is an interactive graphic organizer that allows students to take control of their own learning by organizing existing background knowledge before, during, and after a lesson, chapter, or learning that takes place from using a science kit. Additionally, the chart can be used to engage students further in their own learning of a new topic, by encouraging them to hone in on personal interests related to the lesson which assists in student memory of the material. Ultimately, it allows parents and educators to best understand the foundational knowledge their student has, misconceptions a student has about a topic, as well as their interests in future knowledge related to the subject matter.
While understanding the intention of this type of graphic organizer is important, you may also benefit from in-depth knowledge on what each KWL stands for and how to best assist your student in using the chart most effectively for themselves and your teaching needs.
KWL and What Those Letters Stand For
The three letters in the acronym KWL stand for what I know (K), what I want to know (W), and what I learned (L).
When beginning a new lesson, you should introduce the KWL strategy and the briefest information on the subject matter of the lesson, such as the main topic. Then, students will fill in the Know section, writing what they already know about a particular topic before they engage with the instructional materials.
As they are filling in the Know section, you may be tempted to correct any misguided knowledge they have, but don’t. It’s not important whether the information they include in this section is accurate, this section is about brainstorming. Allow your student to fill out the Know section of the chart to the best of their abilities and as independently as possible. The beauty of the KWL chart is that as they continue using it throughout their lesson (and use them frequently over time), they will begin to recognize and acknowledge how previous ideas were incorrect as well as how they change throughout the learning process.
As your student completes the K column, they may begin to ask you questions about the topic of their learning. You may be tempted to answer these questions before you teach the lesson, but resist that urge and instead encourage them to keep the question in the back of their mind as they finish the Know section. Those questions will go in the next section, the Want to Know section of the KWL chart.
This first column is for student questions and captures their curiosity about the topic before they engage with the materials of the lesson or gain any new knowledge on the subject matter. For students who had asked questions of you while filling out the Know section, this is their chance to put those questions down on paper. Encourage your student to think about the subject matter as multi-faceted. Often, we think about our learning as black or white and that there is one pathway to success, but as many homeschoolers know, learning isn’t a straight line. There are twists, turns, zig-zags, and backtracking, which are all important for each student to gain the fullest understanding of the subject matter at hand.
Think about it! When you learned about animal diets, you may have been told (or thought) there were three options: meat, plants, meat, and plants. While you wouldn’t be incorrect, diets are significantly more diverse. For example, some herbivores only eat fruits, making them frugivores. Also, many animal diets are impacted by where we find them in the world! By recognizing that each subject is more than a straight line of knowledge, we can better educate our students to understand the complexities of the world.
Now, back to our KWL chart! The Want to Know column, the second column of the chart, can also help parents and teachers to better engage their students by enhancing lesson plans so that they answer those burning questions students have when they’re starting a new unit. This W column gives you the opportunity to know what your student finds interesting or important about a particular topic. Additionally, you can use the Want to Know questions as an assessment for your student following a lesson.
The final section, the third column is the What I Learned section, which your student will fill in at the end of the unit after they engage with the materials of the lesson and gain any new knowledge on the subject matter. Many parents and teachers use this section as their assessment, or as a supplement to an assessment, so keep that in your back pocket for when you need to put portfolios together.
The L column is where your student will write a brief summary of what they learned, complete example problems, define important vocabulary terms, include facts that stood out to them and connect the material to themselves personally. Based on your student’s level and your needs as a parent or teacher, this section can be as in-depth as you want, including using a separate sheet of paper, or taking it a step further and having your student develop a slides presentation or formal essay. The opportunities for how this section will work for your student are endless. Each student is an individual and their learning can be as individualized as you see fit.
Reading Comprehension and the KWL Chart
You may have a non-traditional student in your home, including a student who struggles with reading comprehension. If this is the case, you might be asking yourself “Is a KWL Chart right for my student?” While there is no right or wrong answer, and only you will know the true answer to that question, KWL Charts can work for most students.
For students who struggle with reading comprehension, a KWL chart may be the perfect option to assist in building reading comprehension skills. There are many factors that tie into reading comprehension, therefore many reasons why your student may struggle in this area. When a student who struggles with reading comprehension uses a KWL chart, the Know section can help activate prior knowledge. One difficulty related to reading comprehension that your student may have is connecting the material to themselves or what they already are aware of. No one wants to walk into a situation completely unaware as this can make your student feel lost before they even begin. Instead, the Know section helps your student to recognize how much they already know about the material.
The Want to Know section encourages your student to recognize their own gaps in their knowledge or understanding, therefore where they should pay particular attention to the material. It is common for students to not recognize what they actually want to know more about a subject when it hasn’t been taught yet. While many traditional teaching styles jump right into the content of a lesson, the Want to Know section helps your student recognize the areas they will want to focus on most so that they can fill in their own gaps in knowledge.
Finally, the L section gives your student the ability to monitor their own learning based on what they want to know and what is in the lesson. By having the ability to check their own learning, you may find that your student requests more details on a portion of the lesson they didn’t fully understand, rather than you finding the gaps in their knowledge later on.
Expanding the KWL Chart
You may have used KWL charts before or have been reading articles with more sections than just the K, W, and L. If you are working with an advanced student or just want to add more rigor to your teaching, there are several additional sections you can include.
H – How Will I Learn: This section encourages your student to think about how they will find the answers to their questions from the Want to Know section. Students will fill out this section before they engage with any materials or gain any new knowledge.
S – Still Want to Learn: This section is filled in after they engage with the material. The intention is for your student to recognize if all of their questions from the Want to Know section have been answered as well as if they have any new questions they want to be answered.
I – Importance: This section helps your student to recognize why the information in the lesson is important. You can have your student fill this section out either during or after they have engaged with any materials or gained new knowledge.
F – Where I Found Information: If your student is an independent learner, this section can be very useful! This section serves as a reference list or bibliography for your student to keep track of the sources they use to gain new knowledge. For students in high school and college-bound middle schoolers, this section can assist you and your student in discussions and recognition of appropriate and reputable sources of information.
R – Want to Remember: This final section is where students can indicate the most important material for themselves and list it as the information they most definitely want to remember. You can use this section with students to assist them in recognizing what is most important to themselves about their learning, as well as how material they learn now impacts their understanding of other subjects or material they will learn in the future.
The KWL chart is a great way to organize your lesson plans and the pre-existing knowledge and learned knowledge of your child!
