Question Answer Relationships QAR Question Answer Relationships

Think Before you Make your Move! Questions and Answers Think Before you Make your Move!

What is QAR? QAR is a reading comprehension strategy applicable to use with both fiction and nonfiction texts. It is a valuable skill for all students to obtain, especially struggling readers. QAR assists students in relating prior knowledge to text information. It becomes a conscious process students actively engage in when reading texts, especially difficult reading selections. With this strategy, students become aware of the relationships between questions and answers. Students will begin to understand where the answers come from and thus are better able to answer the questions correctly!

QAR – Four Types of Questions There are four types of questions Right There Think and Search Author and You On my Own NOTE: Each type of question should be explicitly taught to students using several texts and sample questions.

“Right There” Questions Right There - The answer is in the text and is usually easy to find. The words used to make up the question and the words used to answer the question are Right There in the same sentence. Skills - Simple detail questions, vocabulary

“Think and Search” Questions Think and Search - “Putting it Together” The answer is in the reading selection, but you need to put together different pieces of information to find it. Words in the question and words for the answer are not found in the same sentence. They come from different places in the reading selection. Skills - Complex detail questions, main idea, cause/effect, compare/contrast, vocabulary

“Author and You” Questions Author and You - The answer is not in the passage. You need to think about what you already know, what the author tells you in the passage, and how it fits together. Skills - Inference, making predictions, drawing conclusions, author’s mood, tone, purpose, vocabulary

“On My Own” Questions On My Own - The answer is not in the passage. You can even answer the question without reading the selection. You need to use your own experience and background knowledge. Skills – Prior knowledge, opinion, vocabulary

QAR Lesson Plan

Big Ideas! Questioning is a tool for digging deeper into text “as” it is being read. Questioning is most effective when used before, during, and Not just after reading. Textbooks and test prep books usually only offer questions AFTER the reading, not before or during. QAR is a strategy that encourages students to actively engage in the text and, therefore, increases the level of student engagement and comprehension before, during, and after reading.

Teacher's Lesson Goals/Objectives By the end of this lesson the students will be able to............ -become aware of the relationship between questions and answers -identify different types and levels of questions -analyze, comprehend, and respond to information found in texts -relate prior knowledge to text information -support their answers with specific information from the text

Materials/Resources Needed Class set of highlighters Download the following documents - “QAR Student Handout” “QAR Sample Text” “Strategy Lesson for QAR” “Student Activity Guide” EOG Reading Selections http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/accountability/testing/eog/reading Fiction or Nonfiction Texts

State Purpose (Why) – Read Aloud to your students "Many readers don't know where their answers come from when responding to questions while reading. This leaves us open to the potential of making numerous mistakes when trying to analyze the information found or implied in the books we read. For example, the EOG tests you take at the end of each year asks us to think about the questions asked and to come up with the best answer possible based on information from the reading selection and/ or what we already know. Many answers to the questions are actually directly stated in the text, but we fail to know where our answer comes from. In some cases, the answers are not found in any one sentence, rather, information can be pulled from numerous places within the reading selection. And, sometimes, the answer is not in the reading selection. I know these types of questions can be very frustrating to many of you. I have heard students say, "How am I suppose to know?" several times when answering questions. In reality, when you are reading and want to find an answer to a question, the answer may or may not be “right there” in the text. Sometimes the answer is directly stated, but, other times, you have to think beyond what is there in the text. Today, you are going to learn how to figure out where your answer needs to come from when reading. Once you figure that out, you will become a better reader and experience great success!"

What is it? Read aloud to your students… What - "Because of this, I want to help you with gaining the skills necessary to effectively identify with the relationships between questions and answers using a strategy called QAR. QAR, or Question Answer Relationships, will help you to become more conscious (aware) of why you are choosing a particular answer. This strategy will enable you to answer the question, "Where did this answer come from?” You will be able to provide concrete information supporting the reasons for choosing any particular answer to a question. Best of all, you will be able to find the answers in the first place!"

How do I use it? Read aloud to your students How - "QAR is a simple strategy we will use when answering questions. I will provide you with several opportunities to try this strategy with guided practice and feedback. Eventually, this strategy will become second nature to you. You will then be able to apply it to all disciplines of study! (Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, etc.) Today, I will introduce the four types of questions. We will begin practicing using the classroom as text.” (Download the “QAR Student Handout” document)

Practice! Practice! Go over the 4 types of questions on the “QAR Student Handout”. (Download the “QAR Student Handout “document) Teacher uses the room as text to show examples of the four types of questions. Examples: Right There – “Where is the clock located in the room?” Think and Search – “How many students are wearing glasses?” Author and You – “How would you organize the desks in this room to take an EOG test?” On my Own – “If given the opportunity, how would you design a classroom to make it a learning environment?”

Final Product Choose a text in your discipline to use with the QAR strategy Use the attached lesson and follow its instructions, including dialogue, from beginning to end with your students Download the “Strategy Lesson for QAR” document Submit your lesson plan, a copy of the text used, one or more student work samples, and a teacher reflection of the lesson (what went well, what could be improved, etc...) (Download “Teacher Reflection” document)

Key To Success! NOTE: While it is of utmost importance to teach a variety of reading strategies in order to meet the diversity of needs in your classroom - The key to success is not the quantity but rather quality and consistency of repeated direct and guided instruction using specific strategies. Consistent reinforcement, revisiting strategy and/or skills learned, will inevitably enhance its value in the eyes of students. It is then that effective strategies become apart of your students learning repertoire, language, and long-term usage.