The KWL Method Will Help You Remember What You Learn.
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One method for accelerating and engaging learning is popular in elementary schools, so you may not have heard of it, even though it’s applicable to students of all ages: the KWL chart. This chart is easy to create even for a fourth-grade student, but it can make even graduate-level classes more productive, making them more engaging and easier to understand. All you need is a notebook and pen the next time you read, watch, or listen to new material. (For $10, you can even buy a notebook with pre-made KWL charts so you don’t have to draw them yourself.)
What is a KWL chart?
The acronym KWL stands for “Know, Want to Know, and Learn.” Its use is popular among elementary school teachers, but it is also recommended by universities. KWL charts are part of the constructivist teaching method, based on constructivist theory, or the belief that people learn more when they are actively engaged in the meaningful process of constructing knowledge rather than simply passively receiving information. Simply put, constructivists believe that you learn more when you interact with the material rather than simply read or listen to it. A small number of academic studies have also found that KWL charts are more effective for reading comprehension than traditional passive methods.
To better understand constructivist learning, think back to all the other activities you did in elementary school. Activities like building a model volcano or playing Jeopardy! with large cards taped to the board are all constructivist. You probably even remember some of the material you learned during these games or activities, even if it was years ago, and you find it difficult to recall the more boring passages you read just last week. And there’s a reason for that: engagement with the concept really does matter.
How to use a KWL chart
The KWL method is similar to the SQ3R method in that you’ll use a pencil and paper to take notes while studying. On your sheet of paper, create three columns and label them “Know,” “Want to Know,” and “Study.” (If you purchase one of those KWL notebooks I mentioned, this is already done for you.) With or without a prepared notebook, try doing this by hand rather than digitally, as handwritten text is more memorable . While it’s easier to do this in a word processing document, and you may even think you should do so to avoid running out of space for all your ideas, the limited space offered by physical paper is a good thing : just like with the SQ3R method, you want to do this on small chunks of material, such as a chapter or short section of text, rather than focusing on too large an area.
If you’ve already narrowed your focus to one chapter or section but still think there’s too much content for three columns on one page, you can choose three pages, each labeled with one of the KWL pillars, but this should be the maximum amount of space you have available.
Know
Before you start reading a chapter or section (or watching part of a recorded lecture, listening to an assigned podcast, etc.), write down everything you already know—or think you know—about it in the “Know” column. This can be compared to the “blurtout” method—a study technique that requires you to write down or verbalize everything you know about a topic and then check it against your notes to see what you missed. In this case, you may not have notes ready, but it will still help you get up to speed, at least in terms of active recall —pulling anything you might be familiar with from the recesses of your memory.
Do you want to know?
Next, move to the “I Want to Know” section and write down what you’d like to learn or gain from the material. If you’re not very knowledgeable about the topic, you can simply write “I want to know what it is” or jot down general questions. But to make it easier to set specific goals, pay attention to the chapter subheadings, summaries, or tables in your materials and base your questions on them. For example, if your chapter includes a graph showing that a certain disease is more common in a certain country, one of your “I Want to Know” questions might be “Why is this so?”
This is a chance to be creative. Ask unconventional questions. Take a moment to sit down and think about what you can learn beyond what this chapter covers. The more curious you are, the more interested you’ll be in the content.
Study
Finally, master the material, whatever it is. As you study it, pay special attention to anything that might help you answer the questions you wrote in the “Want to Know” section. If necessary, take notes elsewhere on the page, because after you’ve finished, you’ll be able to reflect on what you’ve learned, review the materials and your notes, and record it in the “Learning” column. You can write down what you’ve learned in general, but make sure this column also includes answers to the questions you posed in Step 2.
Finishing work with KWL
Once you’ve filled in all three columns, you’re not done yet. I recommend reviewing your notes, especially if the table is sloppy. Use the “talk it out” method to gauge your memory of the material, then compare it with the table and the source material. Alternatively, try a different method to better consolidate the material. For example, use “want to know” questions to create a set of flashcards, then follow the Leitner method to review the cards. Try the Feynman method by explaining the chapter to a friend, family member, or even an AI bot , which can help you break down complex concepts into smaller chunks.
Try it for different purposes, even personal reading. KWL is great not only for improving reading comprehension, for which it was designed, but also for taking lecture notes, participating in class, attending seminars, and even just watching documentaries. The main goal is to maintain your focus and curiosity while absorbing information, so you don’t lose interest while trying to find answers to your initial questions.