KWL Chart

What is a KWL Chart?

A KWL chart is a teaching strategy that helps students organize their thoughts before, during, and after a learning exercise. First, students identify what they know about a topic. Then, they think about what they want to research or learn. After the lesson, they then reflect on what they have learned. A KWL chart is useful for both individuals and groups as formative assessment and for visible thinking strategies.

Teachers can use this technique to gather information for creating customized, student-specific lesson plans while still linking to a curriculum or organizational learning goals. The information is displayed visually enabling both students and teachers to keep track of progress.

The chart focusses on three areas:

• K – What students already KNOW about a topic?
• W – WHAT students want to learn or find out?
• L – What students have LEARNED about the topic after taking action?

You can also extend the basic KWL to chart to include additional items like asking what actions they can take with their new knowledge, what new questions have come up and what other reflections they may have. The KWHLAQ chart is a popular extension that does exactly this.

Related templates

• KWHLAQ Chart — the extended KWL for inquiry-based and flipped classrooms
• Group Mind Mapping — brainstorm and connect ideas visually
• SMART Goals — turn learning intentions into clear goals
• What, So What, Now What — structured reflection after an activity

References

• Ogle, Donna. 1986. “KWL: A Teaching Model that Develops Active Reading of Expository Text.” The Reading Teacher. 39, 6: 564- 570.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KWL\_table

Why do a KWL Chart?

The KWL Chart is a simple but effective teaching pedagogy which puts the student at the center of inquiry based learning. The chart:

• Provides teachers with valuable information as to what students already know about a given topic. (diagnostic assessment).
• Builds collective learning by helping students to learn from each other (peer to peer learning).
• Enables teachers to create more enjoyable lesson plans that address the interests, questions, and needs of the students
• Increases motivation and involvement by activating the students’ prior knowledge.
• Creates interest and curiosity and encourages students to expand their ideas beyond the lesson or training provided in the classroom environment.
• Presents an opportunity for students to consolidate their learning by reflecting on what they have learned and sharing this with others.

Who should use a KWL chart?

This technique adds structure to the learning process. A KWL chart is useful for teachers, trainers, students, and researchers who:

• Are about to start a new topic
• Looking to implement student centered teaching strategies
• Need evidence of diagnostic and formative assessments
• Want to reduce paperwork
• Introduce ICT into their curriculum in a meaningful way

KWL chart example

Here is a worked example of a completed KWL chart for a Grade 5 science lesson on the water cycle. The K and W columns are filled in before the lesson, and the L column afterwards.

K — What I KNOW

• Rain falls from clouds.
• Puddles disappear after it stops raining.
• The sun makes things dry out.

W — What I WANT to know

• Where does the water in puddles actually go?
• How do clouds form in the first place?
• Why does it rain more in some seasons than others?

L — What I LEARNED

• Water evaporates into the air, condenses into clouds, and falls back as precipitation — a repeating cycle.
• Clouds form when water vapour cools and condenses around tiny particles.
• Rainfall depends on temperature and air movement, which change with the seasons.

Comparing the W and L columns shows that most questions were answered, and any gaps point to what to cover next. You can copy this pattern for any topic — history, geography, a training session, or a project kick-off.

KWL Chart template

What I KNOW

Information about what the students already know.

Complete before planning and delivery of the lesson.

What I WANT to know

Information about what the students want to know.

Complete before planning and delivery of the lesson.

What I LEARNED

Information about what the students learned.

Complete after the lesson.

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