QAR (Question-Answer-Relationship)
what is it?
* The purpose of this strategy is to help students identify the relationship between questions and answers they develop while reading.
* The strategy is used after reading and can be done through a whole class setting, with small groups, or individually.
* "QAR teaches students to identify and then answer questions that can either be found "in the book" or "in their heads"" (Miller, 2011, p.84).
* Answers "in the book" can be defined as: "Right There" or "Think and Search" questions
-"Right There" questions: Answers are found directly in the text in a single sentence that you could point to.
-"Think and Search" questions: Answer is pieced together from different sections of the text.
*Answers "in your head" can be defined as: "Author and You" or "On My Own" questions
-"Author and You" questions: Students develop an answer by making an inference based on prior knowledge and details from the text.
-"On My Own" questions: Students could develop the answer without even reading the text.
- Examples using the QAR strategy for comprehension:
* The strategy is used after reading and can be done through a whole class setting, with small groups, or individually.
* "QAR teaches students to identify and then answer questions that can either be found "in the book" or "in their heads"" (Miller, 2011, p.84).
* Answers "in the book" can be defined as: "Right There" or "Think and Search" questions
-"Right There" questions: Answers are found directly in the text in a single sentence that you could point to.
-"Think and Search" questions: Answer is pieced together from different sections of the text.
*Answers "in your head" can be defined as: "Author and You" or "On My Own" questions
-"Author and You" questions: Students develop an answer by making an inference based on prior knowledge and details from the text.
-"On My Own" questions: Students could develop the answer without even reading the text.
- Examples using the QAR strategy for comprehension:
How to Use QAR in the classroom:
1) Choose an appropriate level of text that includes necessary content.
2) Activate and build the students' prior knowledge on the content.
3) Perform a read aloud for the students, modeling fluency and vocabulary strategies, while encouraging the use of graphic organizers to take notes on information read.
4) Think aloud a variety of questions that can be developed based on the reading. Label each question with one of the four QAR categories.
5) Write aloud, modeling what a response to each question could include.
6) After modeling this strategy to students, allow them to work in partners or small groups until they are able to independently practice the QAR strategy proficiently.
2) Activate and build the students' prior knowledge on the content.
3) Perform a read aloud for the students, modeling fluency and vocabulary strategies, while encouraging the use of graphic organizers to take notes on information read.
4) Think aloud a variety of questions that can be developed based on the reading. Label each question with one of the four QAR categories.
5) Write aloud, modeling what a response to each question could include.
6) After modeling this strategy to students, allow them to work in partners or small groups until they are able to independently practice the QAR strategy proficiently.
how this strategy benefits student learning:
* "Without the QAR strategy, when students answer questions, they usually rely on their prior knowledge, or they rely on the text, but they rarely make connections between the two" (Miller, 2011, p.84).
* "The purpose of QAR is to teach students how to identify the different types of questions so that they can more effectively answer them" (Miller, 2011, p.84).
* "QAR helps students understand which information is present in the text and which information requires inference" (Miller, 2011, p.85).
* "When students learn how to answer different types of questions about a text, they become more able to differentiate between information that is explicitly stated in the text and ideas that are inferred from the text" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "It inspires them to think creatively and work cooperatively while challenging them to use higher-level thinking skills" (Reading Rockets, 2014, para.2).
* "It helps students to think about the text they are reading and beyond it, too" (Reading Rockets, 2014, para.2).
* "The purpose of QAR is to teach students how to identify the different types of questions so that they can more effectively answer them" (Miller, 2011, p.84).
* "QAR helps students understand which information is present in the text and which information requires inference" (Miller, 2011, p.85).
* "When students learn how to answer different types of questions about a text, they become more able to differentiate between information that is explicitly stated in the text and ideas that are inferred from the text" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "It inspires them to think creatively and work cooperatively while challenging them to use higher-level thinking skills" (Reading Rockets, 2014, para.2).
* "It helps students to think about the text they are reading and beyond it, too" (Reading Rockets, 2014, para.2).
using this strategy with writing:
* After developing questions and answers, students can write out answers, developing points and providing concluding statements.
Supporting Common Core State Standard in Writing Grades 6-8: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
Supporting Common Core State Standard in Writing Grades 6-8: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
supporting videos:
* The video below shows a 5th and 6th grade teacher showing her students how to use the QAR strategy to enhance reading comprehension. She is demonstrating the difference between the four types of questions and where the answers come from.
* The video below is a tutorial explaining the QAR strategy for enhancing comprehension to help educators develop a better understanding for how the strategy works and how he or she could implement it into instruction. It gives examples of questions generated from different passages that are read aloud.
research says....
* "SQ3R and QAR are both effective strategies for helping students better comprehend text. When used systematically, they help students generate and answer questions before, during, and after reading" (Miller, 2011, p.86).
* "Research illustrates the positive effects of learning to generate and answer questions about a text" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "When students generate questions before, during, and after reading, they engage deeply with the content and monitor their comprehension" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "Asking and answering questions about a text can help students build comprehension across all content areas" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
Sources:
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in Context: Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Reading Rockets. (2014). Question-Answer Relationship. Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 23, 2014 from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/question_answer_relationship.
* "Research illustrates the positive effects of learning to generate and answer questions about a text" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "When students generate questions before, during, and after reading, they engage deeply with the content and monitor their comprehension" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
* "Asking and answering questions about a text can help students build comprehension across all content areas" (Miller, 2011, p.81).
Sources:
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in Context: Choosing Instructional Strategies to Teach Reading in Content Areas for Students in Grades 5-12. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Reading Rockets. (2014). Question-Answer Relationship. Reading Rockets. Retrieved July 23, 2014 from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/question_answer_relationship.
