The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources

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Literacy Compendium Kit

E NG LISH L E S S O N PL A NS F I LI P I N O LESSO N P LAN S LI T ER AC Y ST R AT EGIES

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE/
READING PURPOSE
Activating Prior Knowledge/Establishing Reading Purpose:

K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned)

We cannot understand new
information unless we can
connect it to something we
already know. The spoken or
written text does not in itself
carry meaning. Prior knowledge
(in the reader’s memory)
interacts with and shapes
incoming information (from the
text) and how this knowledge
must be organized to support
this interaction, resulting in
comprehension.
This Literacy Strategy Guide
describes the Know-Want to
Know-Learned (KWL) strategy for
activating students’ schema and
establishing their purpose for
reading. The strategy involves
text processing during and after
reading as well.

Table of Contents:

Background/Research Base 2
Purpose/Benefits 3
Description/Procedure 3
How Teachers Can Make
the Strategy Work 5
Applications Across
the Curriculum 6
 Activating Prior Knowledge/Establishing Reading Purpose:

K-W-L
(Know, Want to Know, Learned)

Background / Research Base

An instructional reading strategy that has become

very popular among both reading teachers and
teachers across the curriculum is K-W-L (Ogle, 1986). It
is a versatile strategy because teachers can use it not
just for pre-reading but for the rest of the lesson.

According to Jared and Jared (1997), start by brainstorming the prior

KWL was established with the motive
to enhance the comprehension
reading skills of the students. This was
done by designing the three levels of
the activity focusing on the different
learning styles of the individuals.
Glazer (1998) observed that students
fail to enjoy the text or content
because they fail to understand
it. Hence, KWL increases their
comprehension skills as the activity
goes through each topic step by step.
Szabo(2006) sees the K-W-L chart
as a strategy of before-during-after
for the students to enhance their
comprehension skills. The students
knowledge about the topic and
then eventually develop curiosity
about the topic. This builds their
interest in the topic and they
would want to learn more about
the topic. K-W-L chart gives an
opportunity to the individual
to build up self-motivation
regarding the topic. Through
K-W-L, the students go through
self-evaluation as they know what
they intend to learn and what
they really understood. Hence,
KWL gives the students some
space to explore the topic through
other sources and build up their
knowledge.

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Purpose / Benefits
KWL charts are a great way to start a
new unit/topic or to use before reading
a new book. It can be used across
subjects/disciplines and a wide range of
ages and student performance levels, as
a whole class activity or in small groups.
The students are responsible in a way
for their learning by asking questions,
but at the same time are directly guided
through the chart by their teachers in
order to clarify any misunderstandings
and to offer assistance with what to
write in the columns. Basically, K-W-L
charts serve these purposes:
• Elicits students’ prior knowledge of the
topic of the text
• Sets a purpose for reading
• Helps students to monitor their
comprehension
• Helps students organize their
knowledge by systematically
connecting what they previously know
to the new information, including
correcting previous misconceptions
about the topic
• Helps students to pursue their own line
of research into a topic
• Allows students to expand their ideas
beyond the text
• Can be used as a study tool—as a way
to synthesize information into a visual
aid, and to keep track of what they
have done and what they would still
like to do
• Provides opportunities for collaborative
work and active exchange of ideas
among students
The KWL chart is useful to complete
formative assessment in the classroom.
The teacher finds out the students’
prior knowledge on a particular topic
and can gear lessons based upon this
information. Further, the teacher is
able to find out what the students have
learned by the end of their lessons.
Prior Knowledge/Reading Purpose | K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned)
Description / Procedure
1. CHOOSE A TEXT. This strategy works
best with expository texts.
2. POST A K-W-L CHART. This can be done
on the blackboard or on an overhead
transparency. In addition, the students
should have their own chart on which
to record information. (Below is an
example of a K-W-L chart.)
K W L
What I know What I want to What I learned
know
Write the Write the After the
information information completion of
about what about what the lesson or
the students the students unit, write the
know in this want to know information
space. in this space. that the
students
learned in this
space.
3. COMPLETE COLUMN K. Ask students to
brainstorm words, terms, or phrases
they associate with a topic. The teacher
and students record these associations
in the K column of their charts. This is
done until students run out of ideas.
4. COMPLETE COLUMN W. Ask students
what they want to learn about the
topic. Write questions that students
suggest in the W column. They
continue to add questions to the
W column (likely to happen when
studying a unit).
5. COMPLETE COLUMN L AND REVIEW
COLUMNS K AND W. During or at the
end of the lesson/unit, students reflect
on what they’ve learned, and teachers/
students record the information in
the L column of the chart. As students
record what they have learned, they
can review the questions in column W,
checking off any questions that they
can now answer. They can also add
new questions. Students should also
review Column K so they can identify
any misconceptions they may have
held before beginning the unit.
3
 K-W-L Variations
There are various adaptations of the K-W-L that can be used in the classroom. Two
variations are described below:

KLEWS
The KLEWS chart was developed with
additional columns for information/
activities that place an emphasis
on observation and examination of
evidence that suppoets what they see.
It can be used in inquiry-based lessons,
especially in Science. Figure X shows
the template for the chart (Katz &
Zembal-Saul, 2018).

Essential Question:

K L E W S
What do What are we What is our What do we What scientific
we think learning? evidence? still wonder principals/vocabulary
we know? (claims) about? help explain the
phenomena?

KNWS
This variation was especially
developed for use with word
problems in Mathematics. Students
read the problem and record what
facts they know, what information
is not needed, what the problem
is asking them to find, and what
strategy they will use to solve the
problem. See example in Applications
Across the Curriculum. (NBSS).

K: What do I KNOW from the information stated in this problem?

N: What information do I NOT need in order to solve this problem?
W: WHAT exactly does this problem asks me to find?
S: What STRATEGY or operation do I use to solve this problem?

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How Teachers Can Make The
Strategy Work
K-W-L is a very effective strategy if
and when used correctly. Teachers’
help and inputs are needed to guide
the students through the process by
directing, scribing and monitoring the
development of the KWL chart. Here
are some issues to keep in mind when
using the strategy:
1. Have questions ready to help students
brainstorm their ideas. Sometimes they
need more prompting than “Tell me
everything you about__” to get them
started. Encourage students to explain
their associations, especially those that
are vague or unusual. Ask, “What made
you think that?”
2. Students need to have background
or some prior knowledge about the
topic in order to fill out the K column.
Sometimes they may know a lot
of information that is inaccurate.
The statements can be turned into
questions and added to the W column.
3. Filling out column W can be a
challenge. Teachers can use media
to help them become interested in
the topic. They can also put the six
questions on the board as prompts
Some tips for individualized supports
• Model the process of using a KWL
visual organizer by exploring a
topic of interest with students. Fill
in the organizer collaboratively and
encourage students to refer to it
when creating their own.
• Explore concepts and key vocabulary
in advance to prepare students to
participate in the activity.
• Adjust the number of statements that
students are required to complete.
• Allow extended wait time for students
to reflect and respond.
Prior Knowledge/Reading Purpose | K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned)
(Who? What? Where? When? Why?
How?). Students’ responses and
questions can be used to direct the
course of study. As students share
what they want to learn, teachers can
present what they hope students will
learn from the lesson/unit. Choose an
idea from Column K and ask, “What
would you like to learn more about
this idea?”
4. Encourage students to write in
column L anything they found
especially interesting. To distinguish
between the answers to their
questions and the ideas they found
interesting, have students code
the information. For example, they
can put a check mark next to the
information that answers questions
from column K and they can put a
star next to ideas that they found
interesting.
5. Have students consult other
resources to find out the answers to
questions that were not answered in
the text. (It is unlikely that all of the
students’ questions in column W will
be answered by the text.)
6. Materials required can vary on the
type of classroom activity the teacher
intends to carry. If the teacher divides
the class for a particular topic then
one K-W-L chart per group shall be
given. But if the teacher wants every
individual child to brainstorm on the
given topic then every individual shall
have their own copy of the chart.
• Use digital materials such as text-
to-speech software for research and
online visual dictionaries for new
words.
• Use engaging picture prompts to
stimulate student interest as a
catalyst for discussion.
• Provide opportunities for students to
represent their ideas in multiple ways,
including drawing, selecting symbols,
images, or text.
5
 Applications Across The Curriculum
Following are examples taken from the National Behaviour Support Services
(2019) resources on KWL charts.

History
The example shows a blank K-W-L chart and post-it notes to be pasted under the three
columns.

TOPIC Ancient Egypt KWL Chart

Know W
know Learned
ant to
Name __________________________________ Topic ________________

What I Know What I Want to know What I've Learned

Science
A filled out K-W-L chart on the topic “The Nervous System”:

Know Want Learn

The nervous sys.
- controls your body - How does it work?
- It makes you react - How does it help you?
- Why do we need it?
- What does it do?
- What does it consist of?
- How would the body react
without the nervous system?
- It helps you regulate your body
systems through homeodstasis
- Helps control your body
- The nervous system consists of
the brain and spinal cord and
bundles of nerves
- Your body cannot function
without the nervous system

Pythagorean Theorem
K W
- It is about - Can we apply it to any
triangles triangle?
- It's called - What are you supposed to do?
Pythagorean - How do you use it to solve what
Theorem you are trying to solve?
- Why is it important?
- What does this theorem say?
- When was it created?
- What is a hypothenuse?
- How do you use it in real life?
L
- No, we can only apply it to the
right triangles
- You need it to find a
hypothenuse or to find the
lenght of a missing side on a
triangle
- You replace variables with
numbers and then find the
third side
- It is importsant because it is a
way to find side C
- a2+b2=c2

6 The PRIMALS Compendium of Teaching Resources | LITERACY STRATEGY GUIDES

Mathematics: KNWS
A filled out KNWS chart on a word problem.
A A tent will have the shape shown when it is pitched.
E AB as 1.3m. He measures length BD as 1.2m and
B D C
K N
What do I What information WHAT exactly does
KNOW from the do I NOT need
information in order to solve
stated in this this problem?
problem?
[AB] = 1.3m Person's name -
Andy and that he
[BD] = 1.2m
unpacks the tent.
[BE] = 2.4m
References
Croner, P. (2003). Strategies for teaching science
content reading. In The Science Education
Review 2(4) 2003, pp. 104-118. https://files.eric.
ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1058676.pdf
Glazer, M. Susan. (1998). Using kwl folders.
Teaching Diverse Learners, 29(4), 106-107
Katz, K. & Zembal-Saul C. (2018). KLEWS Chart
Template. OER Commons. Retrieved
from https://www.oercommons.org/
authoring/22028-klews-chart-template/view
Jared, J. Elizabeth, Jared, H. Alva (1997).
Launching into improved comprehension.
The Technology Teacher, 56(6), 24–31.
National Behaviour Support Service (xxxx).
KWL charts: Reading and learning
strategy: Before, during, and after reading
strategy. Retrieved from https://www.
nbss.ie/sites/default/files/publications/
kwl_comprehension_strategy_handout__
copy_2_0.pdf
Prior Knowledge/Reading Purpose | K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned)
When Andy unpacks the tent he measures length
length BE as 2.4m. What will be the length of the
pole AD, when the tent is pitched?
W S
What STRATEGY
this problem ask or operation will
me to find? I use to solve this
problem?
[AD] Using Pythagorean
Theorem:
[AB]2 = [BD]2 + [AD]2
[AB]2 - [BD]2 = [AD]2
[1.3]2 - [1.2]2 = [AD]2
1.69 - 1.44 = [AD]2
0.25m = [AD]2
10.5m = AD
National Education Association (n.d.). K-W-L
(Know, Want to Know, Learned. Retrieved
January 20, 2019 from http://www.nea.
org/tools/k-w-l-know-want-to-know-
learned.html
Ogle, D.M. 1986. K-W-L: A teaching model that
develops active reading of expository
text. Reading Teacher 39: 564-570.
Powers, C. (2013). KWL charts. In Research-
based Teaching Strategies For All
Students. Retrieved from https://
caitlinpowers23.wordpress.
com/2013/03/08/kwl-charts/.
Szabo, Susan. (2006). Kwhhl: A student-driven
evolution of the kwl. American Secondary
Education, 34(3), 57–67
Tompkins, G. E. (2010). K-w-l charts. Pearson
Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall. Retrieved from
http://www.education.com/reference/
article/K-W-L-charts-classroom/
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