#Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)

More comprehension strategies

Why use question–answer relationship?

• It can improve students' reading comprehension.
• It teaches students how to ask questions about their reading and where to find the answers to them.
• It helps students to think about the text they are reading and beyond it, too.
• It inspires them to think creatively and work cooperatively while challenging them to use higher-level thinking skills.

How to use question–answer relationship

1. Explain to students that there are four types of questions they will encounter. Define each type of question and give an example.

Four types of questions are examined in the QAR:

• Right There Questions: Literal questions whose answers can be found in the text. Often the words used in the question are the same words found in the text.
• Think and Search Questions: Answers are gathered from several parts of the text and put together to make meaning.
• Author and You: These questions are based on information provided in the text but the student is required to relate it to their own experience. Although the answer does not lie directly in the text, the student must have read it in order to answer the question.
• On My Own: These questions do not require the student to have read the passage but he/she must use their background or prior knowledge to answer the question.

2. Read a short passage aloud to your students.

3. Have predetermined questions you will ask after you stop reading. When you have finished reading, read the questions aloud to students and model how you decide which type of question you have been asked to answer.

4. Show students how find information to answer the question (i.e. in the text, from your own experiences, etc.).