Activating Strategy: K-W-L

Brenda Hill
Feb 22, 2010

A K-W-L organizer is an activating strategy that gives students an opportunity to share what they already know about a topic (K), what they would like to learn (W), and what they have learned (L) about a subject as a result of what has been read or taught.

How is a K-W-L organizer used?

Most educators are very, very familiar with K-W-L organizers and how to use them. In some cases this particular activating strategy has been much overused. So...how do we ensure the successful use of the K-W-L organizer with students? We must know our students and have an insightful understanding of the prior knowledge they possess about the topic. Often we ask students to respond to the K and W column on the K-W-L organizer and they know nothing about the topic or subject. This immediately sets our students up for failure before the lesson even begins. If a K-W-L organizer is going to be used with students who have little or no knowledge about a topic there are several things we can do to ensure the successful use of this strategy with students. Prior to asking them to complete the K and W column of the organizer we can read aloud a book on the subject, show a video clip, share a picture or artifact, or take a field trip. By building background knowledge with students it gives each of them an opportunity to successfully list something on his or her chart. Sounds simple but many times this step is eliminated and the results are less than satisfactory. Adapt and modify the K-W-L organizer to align with your purpose, topic, and grade level.

Examples of K-W-L Headings:

K = Think I Know; I Know; What I Know; What We Know

L = Think I'll Learn; Think I Know; What We Want to Find Out

W = I Learned; Want to Know; What I Learned; What We Learned and Still Need to Learn

Follow-up Writing Suggestion:

Have students summarize new learning by using the L column of the K-W-L organizer to write about new learning. Depending on the grade level you teach, writing expectations will vary. Students may be expected to write several sentences, several paragraphs, or an essay.