QAR ~ Question Answer Relationships
The
Question Answer Relationship (QAR) shows a three-way
relationship between questions, the text and the reader’s background
knowledge. This strategy helps students interpret
the question building process as a step on the way to improved reading
comprehension.
QAR splits questions
into two broad groups: “In the Book” (text explicit) and “In My Head”
(text-implicit) questions.
“In The Book”
These questions are
derived straight from the reading selection. These explicit questions are then
split into two subcategories: “Right There” questions which are found in one
place in the selection and the “Think and Search” questions which are constructed
around cumulative information found throughout the text.
“In My Head”
These questions are
created by the reader during reading.
These questions are not text explicit.
They are questions that arise as the reader engages with reading content’s
active thought, comparison, evaluation etc.
These implicit questions are then split into two subcategories: “Author
and You” questions that the text incites in the reader and “On My Own”
questions arising from the reader’s schema.
STEPS TO QARs:
1. Explain the strategy.
2. Provide a reading selection and set of questions
about its content.
3. Model the placement of the questions in the QAR
graphic organizer,
4. Instruct the group to place the questions in the
QAR graphic organizer.
5. Give the group a new reading selection and have
them develop questions from its content.
6. Have students evaluate their own questions in
the QAR structure.
