Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)

"Right There" Questions

answers to literal questions students will find right in the text

Applicative Comprehension/Question

mostly from reader's background knowledge, known as "author and me" questions; reader will relate to what happens in the story in a personal way.

"Author and Me" Questions

answer is not in the text, but students will be able to use prior knowledge and the text to generate the required answer through careful reading and thinking. Students get to think in what context will they be able to use prior knowledge.

Modeling Factual Level Questions

ask, "What type of question is it?" and model information source or recall from memory, then thinking process.

"Think and Search" Questions

The answer is in the story, but students need to put together information from different parts of the story. Answer is not explicitly stated.

QAR

Students look at comprehension questions and learn how to locate the answers. It could be either looking in the book to find answers, or think in their head. Readers learn how to answer questions, delineate between explicit and implicit information, and draw on background knowledge: "right there," "think and search," "author and you," and "on your own" questions.

"On My Own" Questions

There is no answer in the story. Students use their own experiences. Questions typically asks for student's opinion and they can talk about previous experience or background knowledge to answer the question.

Factual Comprehension/Question

in the text stated explicitly, known as "right there" questions. Reader will search for the information or recall it from memory.

Transactive Comprehension/Question

mainly or entirely from the reader's background knowledge, known as "on my own" questions; and only tangentially related to the text. Reader will valuate, evaluate, judge, critique, or solve a problem.

Interpretive Comprehension/Question

not stated explicitly, known as "think and search" questions; clues are in the text. Reader will put together clues and relevant background knowledge to draw conclusions, read between the lines, or synthesize.

Preparation

• identify a text at students' instructional level, this will be used to explain the different levels/types of comprehension questions. • create stopping points. • read text and develop several comprehension questions. • prepare QAR graphic organizer already developed.

Modeling Inferential Level Questions

model identifying what type of question it is by Think Aloud, "First, I want to decide what type of question it is. Did the book say why...So it must be a 'think and search' question." Model information source, "Since it is a think and search question, the information will help me answer this question..." Then model thinking process, "...I must put together the clues and my background knowledge to find the answers..." etc.

Modeling Transactive Level Questions

model identifying what type of question it is by Think Aloud, "The question is asking me to give my opinion... Since it is asking me to judge...I will need to answer from my own background knowledge, it is an 'on my own' question." Model information source, "the answer to this question will come from my background knowledge." Then, model thinking process, "Since it is an 'on my own' question, I need to think about several ideas and judge or evaluate them...If a person... If people...I think..." etc.

Modeling Applicative Level Questions

model identifying what type of question it is by thinking out loud, "First, I want to decide what type of question it is. Did the story talk about what I would do if... ? No... So it must be an 'author and me' question." Model information source, "...the information about how I would...would have to come from my own background knowledge, not so much from the book. How I would...Let me think..." Then model thinking process, "...I have to put myself in the shoes of... and think what I would do if I had... I would..." etc.

Instructional Procedure

• read the question/identify question type. • use appropriate information source and thinking process to answer the question. • use QAR graphic organizer that uses students' level of language to understand. This should be used to explain/model QAR strategy. • teach 2 question types/levels of comprehension per lesson. • model Think Aloud how reader identifies comprehension question type. Also, information sources and thinking process appropriate. • Have students practice identifying question type using proper information source/thinking process.