Question-Answer Relationships By Janet Stos

Purpose The purpose of teaching the QAR strategy is to show students that questions and answers have a variety of sources, and that learning about questions and their answers will help them, as readers become better at understanding and answering questions. 2004 Iowa Department of Education

Rationale Teaching students about QAR gives them the language for talking about the strategies they use to answer questions. It also helps students to develop an awareness of their own cognitive processes when answering questions. 2004 Iowa Department of Education

Question-Answer Relationships What is it? By Janet Stos

QAR (Raphael, 1982,1986) is a strategy that is “designed to demystify the questioning process, providing the teachers and students with a common vocabulary to discuss different types of questions and sources of information for answering these questions…” ---McREL

Reference: Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If not me then who? By Rachel Billmeyer, Ph.D Mary Lee Barton, M.Ed. 2nd Edition, publisher, McREL

Question-Answer-Relationship Four categories of questions are studied during strategy use and practice.

TWO are text-based QARs “RIGHT THERE” questions ask students to respond at the literal level; the words used to answer the questions can be found “right there” in the same sentence of the text.

Right There questions may begin with words such as: Who is… Where is… List… How many… What is… When is…

THINK AND SEARCH These questions require students to “think” about how the information or ideas in the text relate to one another, and to “search” through the entire passage to find the information that applies.

Think and Search questions may begin with words like: Summarize… What caused… Compare… Explain… Retell… Contrast… Find two examples…

TWO are knowledge-based QARs Students must use their prior knowledge to answer “Author and You/Me” questions. Their answer will include information that is beyond what is found in the text. They must read the text to understand what the question is asking.

Author and You/Me questions may begin with statements like: What motive is there… Is it valid that… What beliefs justify… In your opinion what inconsistencies… Judge the effects of….

Example: Author and You/Me The topic of the reading was cloning. In what instances, if ever, do you think cloning should be used?

ON MY OWN (2nd knowledge based question) These questions can be answered with information from the students’ background knowledge and DO NOT require reading from the text.

ON MY OWN Create a children’s story where the discovery of a strange new creature leads the characters on an amazing adventure.

Let’s Compare: Bloom’s Taxonomy QAR Knowledge Right There questions Comprehension Think and Search Application Analysis Author and You/Me Synthesis On My Own Evaluation

The Woggily Thonk (A Cautionary Tale) Once upon a time there was a woggily thonk. The woggily thonk loved to squonk. One day the squonk decided to squonk murrily over the herp. What squonked? How would you describe the thonk? Where did it squonk? How did it squonk?

Question-Answer Relationships Why use it?

QAR explicitly shows the relationship between questions and answers. QAR categorizes different types and levels of questions which helps students analyze, comprehend and respond to text concepts QAR helps refute the common misconception that the text has all the answers.

Question-Answer Relationships How to use it?

Let them (provide practice) Show them (model) Help them (guide) Let them (provide practice)

How do I increase the likelihood that my students will independently use the strategies that I teach? Answer: Students need to be explicitly taught the answers to these 4 questions…..

1. What is the strategy called?

2. How do I perform the strategy?

3. When do I use this strategy?

4. Why would I use this strategy?

How do I get students to determine the question-answer relationships? Answer: Help them create a clear picture of the difference between IN THE BOOK and IN MY HEAD QARs then……

Help them create a clear picture of the 4 levels of question answer relationships found within in each source: IN THE BOOK: Right There, Think & Search and IN MY HEAD: Author & Me, and On My Own.

*QAR Poster *Click on BACK button after viewing QAR poster to continue with the PowerPoint presentation

Let’s Practice QAR QAR PRACTICE

QAR Chemistry Assignment

Understanding and Applying QAR Directions: With your group, brainstorm a list of the various settings and situations that you can use QAR with during the rest of the school year.

Understanding and Applying QAR Directions: Answer each question as thoroughly as you can. 1.What is QAR? 2. How do you use QAR? 3.When do you use QAR? 4. Why do you use QAR?

1.What is QAR?

What is QAR? A reading strategy that gives teachers and students a common vocabulary for discussing text. A reading strategy that includes IN THE BOOK and IN MY HEAD levels of questions. A reading strategy that teaches four types of questions and their relationships to the answers. Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, On My Own. A reading strategy that can be easily implemented across the curriculum!

2. How do you use QAR?

How Do you Use QAR? Begin by teaching the students the necessary vocabulary: Right There, etc. Model the 4 types of Questions (show them) Guide students (help them) by having them identify different types of questions and then answer them correctly. Have students (let them) write and label the different types of questions followed by the correct answers.

3. When do you use QAR?

When Do you Use QAR? In any situation where students interact with non-fiction as well as fiction text and…. To help students understand that information from both text and knowledge based experiences is important to consider

4. Why use QAR?

Why Use QAR? QAR is a research based reading strategy that benefits every type, every level of learner! QAR helps students comprehend more of what they have read and learn that all the answers MAY NOT come from the text! QAR easily and authentically embeds itself into every content area!

Questions? Comments?