WHAT IS IT?
The Question-Answer Relationships strategy is an instructional framework developed by Raphael (1982,1986) used to teach striving readers and writers the different types of questions and how to answer them. Raphael suggested that questions could be categorized based on where the answer could be found: in the book or in my head.
In the book questions: right there or think and search. Right there questions are easy to find as they are typically explicitly stated in a single sentence in the text. These questions are often referred to as memory questions, text-explicit questions, literal questions or factual questions. Think and search questions are also in the text, but readers need to look at different parts of the text in order to find the answer (Caldwell & Leslie, 2013).
In my head questions: author and me or on my own. Author and me questions are also referred to as text implicit, inferential or convergent thinking questions. Students must look at what the author has said in combination with their own thinking in order to arrive at an answer to these types of questions. On my own questions must be answered using the reader’s own knowledge or experiences. The answers to these questions cannot be found in the text (Caldwell & Leslie, 2013).
HOW DOES IT IMPACT STRIVING READERS & WRITERS?
Struggling readers and writers often experience difficulty answering questions about a text. This could indicate that they don’t understand the question itself or the text that they just read. According to Caldwell & Leslie (2013), “different question types require different thinking processes to arrive at an appropriate response” (p. 225). Through the use of QARs, students will have a framework to follow that will allow them to begin to think more critically about the type of question being asked and where to find the appropriate answer.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
When a student is able to answer questions about a text, it shows that they understand what they have read. However, if the student is stuck due to a lack of understanding of the question, it will be impossible to gain an understanding of their comprehension as it relates to the text. QARs can also be used to provide a framework for students when generating their own questions about a text. As cited in Duke & Pearson (2009), Yopp (1988) states that “…when students learn to generate questions for text, their overall comprehension improves” (p. 114). When students generate their own questions, they are “…actively constructing knowledge instead of passively receiving it…” (Caldwell & Leslie, 2013, p. 222). In this case, the QAR strategy nicely supports the self-questioning strategy. Overall, when readers are able to ask and answer questions about a text, it will support their comprehension.
HOW WILL I ASSESS IT?
A student’s use of the QAR strategy can be assessed through informal observations or through student work that has been handed in. Teachers can look to see which types of questions students are able to answer or generate successfully versus those they are not. In addition, informal reading inventories often include comprehension questions at the end of the passage that are to be administered to students. Student responses can be assessed to determine which questions students are able to answer. Patterns of error may appear if students predominately provide incorrect answers for either explicit or inferential questions. Teachers can use data collected from these sources to determine if students need additional support with specific question types.
HOW WILL I TEACH IT?
Objective: Students will be able to use the QAR strategy to identify the types of question about a text.
Engage: Students will be introduced to the types of questions and will be provided with a visual representation of each type of question to reference. This may be provided in an individual format, such as a bookmark, or on an anchor chart posted in the classroom.
Below are examples of posters that could be posted in the classroom for student reference when using the QAR strategy. These posters were created by Teachers Pay Teachers author, 3 Little Readers. They can be retrieved from the following link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QAR-Posters-FREEBIE-3299026
Activity: The teacher will present a set cards with pre-written questions about the text Kissing Coyotes by Marcia Vaughan. The teacher will give the student a graphic organizer containing a section for each of the QAR question types, then model placing one question card into each category followed by an explanation for the placement. Next, the teacher and student will work together to sort a few question cards and discuss the reasoning for each placement. Finally, the student will sort the remaining question cards and provide reasons for each placement. The student can request assistance from the teacher as necessary.
Extension: After sorting the cards, the teacher will model answering one question from each category, then guide the student to answer one question from each category. When the student feels comfortable, the student can answer questions from each category independently.
Assessment: The teacher will take anecdotal notes regarding the student’s placement of question cards and the reasoning for each placement. The teacher will also read the student’s responses to the questions answered independently to check for accuracy and validity.
DIFFERENTIATION
The above lesson is designed as an introductory lesson to the QAR strategy and the focus is on identifying the question type and proving understanding of the strategy through explaining the sorting process and product. This lesson can be extended in the same lesson period, or another lesson can be conducted at a later time to return to these questions to generate answers.
Caldwell & Leslie (2013) suggest that teachers begin by introducing and asking students to work with in the book QARs first in order to build confidence. This also enforces the idea that all readers need to reference the book in order to find answers. In addition, Caldwell & Leslie (2013) suggest that teachers begin with shorter passages and move toward longer passages, and start with narrative text before transitioning to expository text as shorter passages are more manageable and narrative texts are typically more familiar to students.
For primary grades, the focus should be on distinguishing between in the book and in my head questions. Starting in second grade, students should be able to differentiate between right there and think and search questions. In intermediate grades and above, they will be able to better differentiate between the four types of questions: right there, think and search, author and me, and on my own. In addition, the use of visual aids and graphic organizers to help students understand the different question types would be beneficial for striving readers and writers as well as English Language Learners (Raphael & Au, 2005).
STATE STANDARDS
Arizona English Language Arts Standards, 5th Grade.
| 5.RL.1 | Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. |
REFERENCES
Caldwell, J.S. & Leslie, L. (2013). Intervention strategies to follow informal reading inventory assessment: So what do I do now? (3rd ed.). Pearson.
Department of Education. (2020). Arizona english language arts standards. Department of Education. Retrieved from: https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/english-language-arts-standards/
Duke, N.K. & Pearson, P.D. (2009). Effective practices for developing reading comprehension. The Journal of Education, 189(1/2), 107-122.
Raphael, T.E. (1982). Question-answering strategies for children. The Reading Teacher, 36, 186-190.
Raphael, T.E. (1986). Teaching question-answer relationships, revisited. The Reading Teacher, 39, 512-522.
Raphael, T.E. & Au, K. (2005). QAR: Enhancing comprehension and test taking across grades and content areas. The Reading Teacher, 59, 206-221.
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