Question Answer Relationships (QAR): A Framework for Improving Literacy Teaching and Learning

1. Question Answer Relationships (QAR):A Framework for Improving Literacy Teaching and Learning Taffy E. Raphael, Ph.D. University of Illinois at Chicago Spring, 2005

2. Focus for Today • What is QAR? • Why use QAR • How can QAR support comprehension instruction that connects across grade levels and subject areas and enhances test-taking?

3. What is QAR? “Why Not Tell Them Where Information Comes From?”

4. QAR Core Categories • In the Book • In My Head

5. Right There: A “detail” type of question, where words used to form the question and words that answer the question are often “right there” in the same sentence. Think & Search: The answer is in the text, but readers have to “think & search” to find the answer; sometimes within a paragraph, across paragraphs, or even chapters. In the Book

6. Author and Me: The information to answer the question comes from my background knowledge, but to even make sense of the question, I’d need to have read and understood the text. On My Own: The question relates to the text, but I could probably answer this one even if I had never read the text. All the ideas and information come from my background knowledge. In My Head

7. Why Use QAR? • A language for ALL to use in talking about strategies and their use in context • A developmental progression that is visible to students and teachers across grade levels • A logical way to organize comprehension strategies • A valuable approach to test preparation

8. Thus, QAR Provides a Common Language Within grade levels Across grade levels Across subject areas

9. QAR A Developmental Progression Builds Coherence Across Grades

10. Right There Think & Search Author & Me On My Own QAR Across the Grades In the Book In My Head Genre Analyses School Subject Extensions Text to World Connections Text to Self Connections Text to Theme Connections How to Take Notes

11. Beginning Focus • Contrast Book / Head • Consider how knowledge gets into our heads

12. Individual Accountability and Reflection Picture of Students’ Representations of In the Book and In My Head QARs • What do I know about sources of information? • How can I represent this to someone else?

13. Tools for Primary Grades • Poster with definitions • How to use post-its • Flip Chart for every-pupil response

14. Tools in Middle Grades • Picture of Right There versus Think and Search definitions • Picture of Comprehension Strategies for each QAR

15. Links to Content Learning (e.g., science) • Showing language connections • Activating prior knowledge = making observations • Predicting = Stating a hypothesis • Taking notes = Keeping data Picture of Science Teacher’s Chart

16. Getting Organized for Comprehension Instruction “Staircase” versus “Christmas Tree” • Au, K. H. (in press). Multicultural issues and literacy achievement. Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum.) • Raphael, T. E., & Au, K. H. (in press). The Standards-Based Change Process. The California Reader.

17. Where Does QAR Fit? • Identifying Important Information* • Summarizing • Making Inferences • Predicting • Visualizing • Questioning • Monitoring • Critique and Evaluation

18. Introduce Students to the Reading Cycle and the Role of QAR Before  During  After Reading

19. Before Reading • On My Own: From the title or the topic, what do I already know that can connect me to the story/text? • Author and Me: From the topic, title, illustrations, and/or book cover, what might this story/text be about?

20. DURING READING • Author and Me: • What do I think will happen next? • How would you describe the mood of the story and why is this important? • Think and Search • What is the problem and how is it resolved? • What role do [insert characters’ names] play in the story? • What are the important events? (literary, informational) • Right There: [locate and recall details] • Who is the main character? (literary) • Identify the topic sentence in this paragraph (informational) • What are some words that describe the setting? (literary)

21. AFTER READING • Author and Me • What is the author’s message? • What is the theme and how is it connected to the world beyond the story? • How can I synthesize the information with what I know from other sources? • How well does the author make his/her argument? • How is the author using particular language to influence our beliefs? • Think and Search • Find evidence in the text to support an argument.

22. Align Strategies to QAR Categories

23. QAR and Comprehension Strategies: Right There • Scanning to locate information • Note-taking strategies to support easier recall of key information • Using context clues for creating definitions

24. QAR and Comprehension Strategies: Think & Search • Identifying important information • Summarizing • Using text organization to identify relevanat information • Visualizing (e.g., setting, mood, procedures) • Using context to describe symbols and figurative language • Clarifying

25. QAR and Comprehension Strategies: Author & Me • Predicting • Visualizing • Making simple and complex inferences • Distinguish fact and opinion • Making text to self connections • Making text to text connections

26. QAR and Comprehension Strategies: On My own • Activating prior knowledge (about genre, experiences, authors, etc.) • Connecting to the topic (self-to-text)

27. Making QAR Part of the Fabric of the Classroom Embedding QAR Language in a Book Club Setting

28. Dear Dr. Raphael, I would really appreciate your input for this scenario. It's a somewhat delicate situation because the child is a particularly bright third grader and a voracious reader, reading at least on a 6th to 7th grade level. The student described above didn't answer all of the QAR's correctly for the critical thinking assessment for Charlotte's Web and I'm concerned.  Does failure to "get the QAR's" necessarily reflect lack of critical thinking skills?   I asked him if he had heard of critical thinking and he replied, "No," but asked me if I meant "mean" or "smart". It's apparent from conversation that he makes original correct critical observations. i.e. If a tree falls in outer space it won't make noise because noise requires atmosphere to travel. He makes astute mature observations about an author's background, etc. But these contributions aren't captured in QAR's… How Would You Respond?

29. End-of-Presentation Goals • I can describe to my colleagues a process of bringing coherence to our comprehension program. • I can describe at least three ways that QAR can help improve my own and my school’s comprehension instruction across grades and school subjects. • I can make my literacy instructional goals more visible to my students and their families • I can create instructional tools for improving comprehension instruction in my classroom or school.

30. Related Resources Raphael, T.E. & Au, K. H. (in press). QAR: Enhancing Comprehension and Test-taking Across Grades and Content Areas, The Reading Teacher. Raphael, T. E. & Au, K. H. Super QAR for Testwise Students. Wright Group/McGraw-Hill http://www.litd.psch.uic.edu/pr taffy@uic.edu