KWL Plus

K-W-L Plus strategy adds a writing

component that consists of mapping
and summarizing after answering
questions in these three areas
(Dowhower, 1999).

 Accessing prior knowledge and

engaging student interest before
beginning a reading activity can
improve students' ability to make
associations, clarify understanding,
and increase comprehension.

 through teacher lead activities, offers

a framework for students to monitor
their understanding during reading,
and reflect after reading through
listing, mapping and summarizing
what was learned.
provides a bridge between reading,
comprehension and beginning
writing

 The various diagramming and

mapping activities provide the
student with a tool to organize their
thoughts about what they have read

The strategy
Person Given Credit for Creating
the Strategy: E. Carr and Donna
Ogle

Date the Strategy Was Created:

1987
Most Appropriate Level(s): Kcollege (The Plus part was added for
secondary and above from the

 Most Appropriate Reading

Materials: Non-fictional and fictional
material; especially lends itself to
non-fiction
Most Appropriate Audience:
Individual, small groups, entire class

Definition
Students access prior knowledge and
interest before reading, monitor
understanding during reading, and reflect
after reading through listing, mapping, and
summarizing what was learned. Support
scaffolds include the teacher and peers.
pre reading
during reading
post reading

 What do I know? (K), What do I want

to know? (W), and What did I learn?
(L)
supported with summarizing and
mapping.

steps

Step
Step
Step
Step
Step

K - What do I know?
W - What do I want to learn?
L1 - What Did I learn?
L2 Mapping
L3 - Summarizing.

Sources/Links

Bailey, D. W. (2002). KWL-Plus. Unpublished manuscript, Johns Hopkins

University, School of Professional Studies in Business and Education, Baltimore.
Carr, e. and Ogle, D. (1987). K-W-L Plus: A strategy for comprehension and
summarization. Journal of Reading, 30(7), 626-631.
Dowhower, S.L. (1999). Supporting a strategic stance in the classroom: A
comprehension framework for helping teachers help students to be strategic.
The Reading Teacher, 52, 672-688.

http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/graphic_org/kwl/ KWL Generator

http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/readquest/strat/kwl.html has printable chart
http://www.indiana.edu/~l517/KWL.htm Good for KWL ...does not have Plus
http://www.santarosa.k12.fl.us/opd/ReadingContentArea/onlinestratdetails.cfm?I
D=30
KWL Plus Description