Level D - Zaner-Bloser

How to Use a K-W-L Chart
K-W-L is a teaching strategy that you can use with students
• to activate prior knowledge about a topic.
• to set purposes for reading a selection.
• to organize what they learn as they read a selection.
• to confirm or revise their original thoughts about the topic.
The K-W-L strategy is used before, during, and after reading nonfiction text.
Model the use of the K-W-L Chart by using the transparency as a whole-group
activity. You may wish to have students use the blackline master to create their
own K-W-L Charts.
Follow these steps when you use a K-W-L Chart:
1. Ask students to preview the reading selection.
2. Have students brainstorm what they already know about the topic.
Write (or have students write) their ideas in the K column of the
chart (What I Know).
3. Ask students to think of some things they would like to know about
the topic. Have students put these into question form. Write
(or have students write) their questions in the W column of the
chart (What I Want to Know).
4. Have students read the selection. As they read, they may generate
additional questions for the W column; these questions may
be added to the chart. Students can also begin to record new
information in the L column (What I Learned).
5. Ask students what they learned about the topic from their reading.
Write (or have students write) this information in the L column.
6. Ask students to look again at the K column to check their original
ideas about the topic. Have students confirm or change each item.
7. Ask students to check the W column to make sure all their questions
have been answered.
8. Discuss the completed K-W-L Chart. If additional information is
needed to answer questions, you may wish to add another column
labeled H (How Can I Find Out?).
Note: K-W-L was developed by Donna Ogle (Ogle, D. [1986]. “K-W-L: A teaching
model that develops active reading of expository text.” The Reading Teacher
39, 564–570).