Help students with learning disabilities become independent learners with comprehension strategies like Question Answer Relationship (QAR).
What is Question Answer Relationship (QAR)?
QAR is a reading strategy that teaches students how to be better prepared to answer questions from a text. Through this process, students begin to understand that when confronted with a question, the answer will either come from the text or from what they know (in their head). “In the book” questions are divided into “right there” and “think and search,” while “in their head” questions are divided into “author and you” and “on my own.”
Example
A 5th and 6th grade Learning Support Teacher has several students who struggle with reading comprehension and just can’t seem to go back into a text to find an answer to a question when needed. Instead, they give up. At times, the teacher has highlighted where they can find some answers, but that is time-consuming, and they are hoping to teach their students to become more independent! How can they help their students?
How to Use a QAR Strategy
Sometimes children or students don’t have a strategy that helps them “attack” the text and use the information to respond to questions successfully. One strategy that you can teach, re-teach, and practice with your students is the Question Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy, which provides kids with insight as to what type of question will be asked and how to find the information using the information available to them.
For example, is the answer “right there” in the text, or do they have to think of the answer “on their own”, meaning the answer is NOT in the text?
Quick Facts
- Child’s Age: 11-17
- Planning Effort: Moderate
- Difficulty Level: Moderate
QAR Prerequisites
Reading selections to practice the Question Answer Relationship strategy should be at the instructional reading level or slightly below.
The Question Answer Relationship Process:
- Add the QAR strategy instruction into your lesson plan to ensure that you have time to teach and model use of the strategy.
- Explain the categories and subcategories of questions.
| IN THE BOOK | IN MY HEAD |
| Right There – Answer is easily found in the text. Often found in a single sentence of the text, and the words used to create the question are often “right there” as well. | Author and You – Answer is NOT in the text. The student must combine previous knowledge with text information to CREATE his/her own response. |
| Think and Search – Answer is in the text, but you may have to look in different places in the selection. | On My Own – Answer is NOT in the text. Answer comes 100% from student and his/her experiences. Requires thought, creativity, and imagination. Student may not have even had to read the text to answer! |
3. Provide a reading selection (at instructional reading level or below to practice the strategy) and a set of questions about its content. Model the placement of the questions into the QAR model and model responding to each.
4. Allow kids to work in pairs or small groups to do the same activity while you walk the room and monitor. If kids are struggling, go back and model the strategy use with the full group.
5. When students are comfortable placing question types into the QAR framework, you can then provide them with a reading passage and have THEM develop the different types of questions from its content. They can then evaluate their own questions.
References: Raphael, T.E. (1984). Teaching learners about sources of information for answering comprehension questions. Journal of Reading, 27, 303-311.
Raphael, T.E. (1986). Teaching question-answer relationships. The Reading Teacher, 39, 516-520.
Question Answer Relationship Resources
This resource was authored by Watson Institute Special Education Consultant, Phil Mauskapf, MS, MT-BC.
If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.