How to teach kids science with the KWL chart

Teachers use a lot of methods in the classroom to teach more effectively. Parents often struggle to get the same result at home. Today, we are going to share one of these teaching methodologies with you.  

What is KWL?  
The three letters in the acronym KWL stand for ‘what I know’ (K), ‘what I want to know’ (W), and ‘what I learned’ (L). So K signifies Knowledge, W denotes all the questions, and L means Learning. Teachers use a KWL chart to apply this method. The chart is an organiser that allows students to take control of the pace and amount of learning. Many teachers use it with a science kit or an experiment.  

Step by step guide to using the KWL chart for teaching science  
When you use a KWL chart at home these are the steps you need to follow. 

• Ask your child which is the latest lesson being taught in school. Then give them a sheet with 3 columns, K, W and L. They will fill in column K with everything they already know about the topic from previous lessons. For example, if the chapter is on osmosis, they will write what they know about plant and leaf structure already  
• Now ask your kid to fill in the W column with what they want to know. It may be a direct question such as ‘what does osmosis mean’, an innovative one like ‘do all plants use osmosis’, something inquisitive like ‘where does the word osmosis come from’. These questions are really important because they indicate what the student is thinking  
• Now take a break from the chart and go through the lesson with them. There’s no need to repeat what they have already written in column K. Concentrate on column W and address all questions. Introduce them to any new concept they may want to know and complete the lesson if they want to go on with it. Science is based in observation, analysis and inferences. So, while teaching, don’t forget to point out how everything they know is related to what they are learning now. They have just observed things they don’t understand, but want to know about, and you are filling in the gaps to take them forward  
• Write any questions you may want your kid to answer in column L or put in problems they should solve (such as measuring work done according to other values or balancing an equation), and ask them to draw a diagram wherever needed. Illustrations are important in science because they show you clearly how much the child has understood.  

Once the kid has completed column L, keep all the KWL sheets for a subject in a file. This will work as quick notes before an exam and prove very valuable to them while preparing.