Free Printable KWL Charts and Variations

About these kwl chart handouts

A KWL chart has three columns: what students already Know, what they Want to know, and what they Learned. Donna Ogle described the model in 1986 as a way to help students read expository text actively. The first two columns are filled in before the reading or unit begins, which sets a purpose for reading and lets you see what background knowledge, and what misconceptions, the class is bringing.

This page gives you five versions. KWHL adds a column for How I will find out, which suits research projects in grades 3 to 8 where students choose sources. KWLS adds what I Still want to know, so a unit can end with open questions rather than a full stop. KWLQ ends with new Questions and works well as a bridge into the next lesson or an independent inquiry. The picture version leaves a drawing box in every column so kindergarten through grade 2 students can sketch ideas before writing one or two words, with wider 50-unit writing lines.

KWL works in every subject: a science unit on weather, the causes of a historical event, a math topic like fractions, or a new novel. Use the Topic field to print the unit name at the top before you copy the page. Keep one chart per student for independent work, or enlarge a copy for a whole-class chart that grows over the unit.

How to use them

1. Choose the version that matches the task: KWL for a quick start, KWHL for research, KWLS or KWLQ to close with questions.
2. Type the topic into the Topic box, then print one chart per student.
3. Before teaching, have students fill in K and W. Accept every answer, even ones that turn out to be wrong.
4. During or after the unit, students record what they learned in the L column and check their K column for corrections.
5. Finish by circling a question from W that was not answered and deciding how to find the answer.

Classroom tips

• Ask students to put a star beside anything in K that they are not sure about, then revisit those items first when the learning begins.
• Use a different colored pen for the L column so growth is visible at a glance.
• For a paired or whole-class version, use sticky notes in each column and sort them together.
• Collect the K and W columns as a quick pre-assessment before you finalize lesson plans.

Where the facts come from

• ERIC (Institute of Education Sciences): Ogle, D. (1986), K-W-L: A Teaching Model That Develops Active Reading of Expository Text, The Reading Teacher

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.