K-W-L-H Technique

The K-W-L-H teaching technique is a good method to help students activate prior knowledge. It is a group instruction activity developed by Donna Ogle (1986) that serves as a model for active thinking during reading.

K - Stands for helping students recall what they KNOW about the subject.

W - Stands for helping students determine what they WANT to learn.

L - Stands for helping students identify what they LEARN as they read.

H - Stands for HOW we can learn more (other sources where additional information on the topic can be found).

Students complete the "categories" section at the bottom of the graphic organizer by asking themselves what each statement in the "L" section (What We Learned) describes.

They use these categories and the information in the "H" section (How Can We Learn More) to learn more about the topic. Students also can use the categories to create additional graphic organizers. They can use the organizers to review and write about what they've learned.