Free Printable 5 W's Graphic Organizers

About these 5 w's handouts

The 5 W's are who, what, when, where and why, the questions a reporter answers to cover a story. They also give students a quick way to check their understanding of a text or to make sure their writing has the necessary details. Some versions add how as a sixth question.

The grid version has six boxes with writing lines for who, what, when, where, why and how. It is a good first organizer for grades 1 to 3, because each question has its own space. The reporter page has a headline line, five rows with a large circle for each question word and two lines each, and a summary box. Students write complete sentences in each row and then combine them into a short summary, which makes it good practice for news writing in grades 3 to 6.

Use the pages with a news article, a historical event, a story or a student's own account of a field trip. Type the event or title in the Event or topic box to print it at the top.

How to use them

1. Pick the grid for notes or the reporter page for full sentences.
2. Type the event or topic into the form and print.
3. Read the text and answer who and what first.
4. Add when and where, then why and how.
5. Use the answers to write a summary in your own words.

Classroom tips

• Teach each W with a short news article about the school before using a longer text.
• Ask for specific answers: Tuesday at noon is better than yesterday.
• Use the how box to ask for a step-by-step detail.
• Have students check each answer by pointing to the sentence in the text.

Last reviewed 2026-10-03. Handout Hero designs are original and made for this site. They are general reference material; check your own school, district or tradition where it matters.