Happy Friday! I’m finally back with another Filing Cabinet post.
Today I’m lauding the use of KWL charts. As a homeschooling mom, I’ll admit that KWL (know-want-learn) charts aren’t my own kids’ favorite activities. But they are genuinely important both in homeschooling and classroom teaching for a few key reasons.
WHAT IS A KWL CHART?
A KWL chart is a simple organizer that aids students in previewing a topic before diving in and reflecting on their learning once finished. The acronym stands for know-want-learn:
- Know: What students already know about the topic
- Want: What students want to learn about the topic
- Learned: What students actually learned about the topic
Beyond being easy to implement, KWL charts offer a host of learning benefits.
KWL CHARTS ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Through the KNOW (K) section of KWL charts, students recall prior knowledge and teachers ascertain that prior knowledge as well. I didn’t understand until I graduated from law school–LAW SCHOOL!–how much content I memorized earlier in my academic career only to forget it after the test. Many of my teachers never continued building on the foundations that other teachers had constructed. Students who can’t find relevance to their pre-existing knowledge frequently memorize and forget rather than learn. When we don’t continue building on the foundation, students memorize and forget rather than truly learn.
As an educator, I appreciate seeing what prior knowledge students bring to the table because that information highlights what hasn’t quite taken hold. For example, as a young English teacher, I was shocked at how many high school students memorize a list of prepositions without understanding what prepositions actually are–or how many students rely on the “anything a rabbit can do to a log” fallacy. Seeing my students’ prior knowledge helps me know that I need to go backward and lay a stronger foundation or if they have already mastered the basics and we can move on to other more advanced topics! Either way, everyone wins.
KWL CHARTS ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO OWN LEARNING
Through the WANT (W) section of KWL charts, students determine their own objectives for learning. Sometimes these objectives will mirror your own; sometimes they will not. Sometimes you uncover fascinating side paths you wouldn’t have thought to explore.
KWL CHARTS IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE RETENTION THROUGH REFLECTION
Through the LEARNED (L) section of KWL charts, students reflect on what they have actually learned in comparison with what they hoped to learn, helping them evaluate whether they need to revisit the material. They also tend to retain the knowledge through that deliberate reflection.
FREE RESOURCE: KWL CHART
To be honest, I didn’t use KWL charts when I first started teaching because I viewed them as some esoteric education trick that “real” classroom teachers don’t actually use. But over the years I learned that some method of previewing and reflecting is valuable to students. As a homeschooling parent, I designed my own minimalist KWL chart, and I am sharing it in my subscriber vault. Make sure you subscribe to the mailing list so that you have first access to printables like this one!
ANY QUESTIONS?
That’s all for today! I’ll have another printable for you next week. (It’s already in the queue.)
If you have any questions, please let me know.
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