The Missouri Reader Vol. 35, Issue 2 | Page 20

State  standards:  Find  your  state’s  standards  and  apply  to  what  you  have  been  reading     Teacher  standards:  Create  your  own  goals.  How  will  students  benefit  from  learning  and  applying  the  KWL  theory?       Student  expectations:  Have  each  student  write  or  discuss  how  they  can  use  the  KWL  strategy  on  a  wide    variety   of   reading  materials  material.  Give  them  several  practice  sessions,  because  students  sometimes  feel     overwhelmed   if   they  are  only  given  a  strategy  one  time  and  it  doesn’t  work  for  them.  Once  it  becomes     familiar,   it   can   be   part   of   the   routine  for  the  class.  For  example,  when  reading  one  of  the  Harry  Potter  books     aloud,   a   successful   class   activity   involved  starting  the  day  reviewing,  sometimes  as  an  entire  class,  other  times     as  groups,  what  had  been  read  the  day   before.  Students  described  favorite  parts,  what  they  liked  or  disliked     about   certain   characters,   and   what   they   thought  was  going  to  happen  next.  At  the  beginning  of  each  chapter,     the   title   was   read   and   discussed   as   students   attempted  to  predict  what  was  going  to  happen  in  the  chapter.     Students   also   looked   carefully   at   the   picture   at   the   beginning  of  each  chapter  and  tried  to  figure  out  what  it    was.  Once  the  read-­‐aloud  began,  students  were  looking  to  find   answers  to  their  questions  about  the  picture,     the  title,  and  what  they  thought  might  happen  next,  based  on  what  we   they  previewed.  While  reading  aloud,     students   who   had   trouble   listening   were   encouraged   to   draw   picture,   in   sequence,  of  what  they  were  hearing.     This  method  was  helpful  to  students  who  tended  to  be  easily  distracted  or  who   preferred  learning  spatially.  Many  of  the  students  purchased  the  books  and  read  ahead,  just  to  find  out  for  themselves   what   was   going   to   happen   next.   Others   bought   books   so   they   could   follow   along   while   the   teacher   was   reading.   Middle   school  students  who  were  supervised  over  a  two-­‐year  period  read  the  Harry  Potter  books  8  to  10  times.  Even  though   they  knew  what  was  going  to  happen,  they  loved  to  hear  the  story  again  and  again.  The  power  of  storytelling     can   be   just  as  effective  with  middle  and  high  school  students  as  it  is  with  young  children.  Nonfiction  is  especially  conducive  to   the  KWL  theory.  For  every  article,  film,  or  trade  book  used  in  a  classroom,  the  teacher     can   do   an   oral   KWL.   When   students  read  the  chapter,  they  will  be  reading  to  learn  based  on  their  overview.  Their  expectations  about  what  they  will   learn  increase,  because  they  are  reading  for  a  purpose.     Using  Young  Adult  Literature  in  all  Content  Areas     Use  the  KWL  in  English  to  read  a  biography  of  a  person.