One method for faster, more interesting study sessions is popular with kids, though it’s applicable to all ages: The KWL Chart. The chart is easy to construct, but helps make your study sessions more fruitful. Here’s what to do.
What is a KWL chart?
KWL stands for Know, Want to Know, and Learn. Its use is popular among teachers of younger kids, but it’s recommended by universities for more mature learners, too. It’s simple to use, as all you need is a paper and pencil, but actually has a complex history and foundation: KWL charts are part of the constructivist teaching method, which is based on the constructivist theory, or belief that people learn more when they’re actively engaged in a meaningful process of constructing knowledge rather than just passively receiving information. Put more simply, constructivists believe that you learn more when you interact with your material as opposed to just reading or hearing it. A smattering of research in the wide world of academia has also suggested that KWL charts are more effective for reading comprehension than conventional, passive techniques.
All of that is fine, but you’re interested in what KWL charts can do for you and your studies, not necessarily the history of why teachers love them. Very well, let’s move on.
How to use a KWL chart
As mentioned, using one of these is very simple. It’s similar to the SQ3R method in that you’ll be using a pencil and paper to take notes as you study. On your paper, make three columns and title them Know, Want to Know, and Learn.
Also like the SQ3R method, this works better if you make a new chart and start the process over for each chapter or specific topic you tackle. So, before starting a given chapter or section, write everything you already know (or think you know) about it in the Know column. Then, move over to your Want to Know section and write down what you’d like to learn or get from the reading (or lecture, video, podcast, or whatever else you’re working with). If you don’t know much about the topic, it’s fine to write that you want to know what it even is or use broad questions like that, but for an easier way to set specific goals, look at things like chapter subheadings, summaries, or tables within your materials, and base your questions off of those. For instance, if your chapter includes a graph showing that a certain disease is more prevalent in a specific country, one of your want-to-know questions can be why that is.
As you go through the material, pay close attention to anything that could help you answer the questions you wrote in your want-to-know section. Take notes elsewhere on the page if necessary, because when you’re done, you’ll reflect on what you learned, review the materials and your notes, and mark it down in the final column. You can write what you learned overall, but be sure that this column also includes the answers to the questions you posed in the second step.
Try this for a variety of uses, even your personal recreational reading. Per the Academic Success Center at Texas A&M University, KWL works well for not only the reading comprehension achievement it was designed to enhance, but also taking notes during a lecture, participating in a classroom activity, going to a workshop, or even just watching a documentary. The whole purpose is to keep you focused and curious while you consume information, so you stay engaged as you try to find answers to the original questions you laid out.
