KWL Chart: How to Use a KWL Table
What a KWL chart is and how to use one: track what you know, what you want to know and what you've learned, plus the KWLH and KWLWH variations.
A KWL (or KWLH) table or chart is a kind of graphic organizer, first introduced in the mid-1980s by researcher Donna Ogle.
It's usually counted among instructional techniques, and it sets out to answer three important questions:
- What do I Know?
- What do I Want to know?
- What have I Learned?
Organizing your prior knowledge this way makes it easier for an instructor, or a student, to keep track of what has already been covered and what still needs to be done.
How does it work?
Divide your paper into three equal columns, with a strip across the top. In the top section (A), write the current date and the course the chart applies to.
The three columns (B, C and D) follow the order of the acronym KWL. In column B, write what you know right now. In column C, write what you would like to know. Finally, in column D, write down the new knowledge you've learned.
Further notes
Although a KWL chart usually has the three columns described above, some people add a fourth and a fifth column: K-W-L-W-H. The second W stands for "further wanderings," where the student fills in additional thoughts that came to mind.
The final "H" was proposed by teaching instructor Margaret Mooney, and it stands for how the student can gather further information on the subject.
Related reading
If you like structured note formats, read about Cornell notes, another note-taking technique.