Transcript Document

It’s all about
Comprehension!
The QAR
Question
Answer
Relationship
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Comprehension Components
•Making
Connections
•Questioning
•Visualizing/Sensory
Images
•Inferring
•Determining
Importance
•Synthesizing
•Monitoring for Meaning or
Fix-up Strategies Fixup Strategies
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QAR is all about thinking….
“It appears that students are learning how to
take tests, not how to think.” Stahl, 2002
The QAR is not a test prep…
it is a powerful thinking strategy!
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QAR
Question Answer Relationship
QAR is a way to help students figure out
how to go about answering questions
based on all content area text
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QAR
Question Answer
Relationship
Students assume that every question’s
answer is directly stated somewhere in the
text and spend far too much time looking
for answers that are not “right there,” and
their frustration mounts.
QAR strategies help to end that frustration
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QAR
Question Answer Relationship
QAR teaches our students:
• the four basic question-answer relationships
• a powerful strategy that will help them to
understand the different types of questions
• how to effectively and efficiently approach the
text based on the different question/answer
relationships
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QAR for Social Studies and
Science
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N
T
H
E
B
O
O
K
Right There
Author and You
Answer is found in one
sentence in the Social
Studies or Science Text or a
primary source document
To answer the question use the
information in the text or primary
source with specific details and
historic/scientific background
Think and Search
Need to look in different
sentences in the Social or
Science textbook or
documents
On Your Own
Answer comes from your
knowledge of history or
science
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N
M
Y
H
E
A
D
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QAR
Use this Strategy:
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Before Reading
During Reading
After Reading
Targeted Reading Skills:
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Using textual evidence to substantiate textual claims
Drawing conclusions and making inferences based on
explicit and implicit information
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Right There
“Right There” questions require you to go back
to the text and find the correct information to
answer the question. These are sometimes
called literal questions because the correct
answer can be found in one place in the text.
“Right There” questions sometimes include the
words, “According to the text…” “How many…”
“Who is…” “Where is…” “What is…”
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Right There Question Examples
Who was the president in 1884?
 How many chemical elements can we find
in salt?
 What are the beginning and ending dates
of World War II?
 Where did the Battle of the Bulge take
place?

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Think and Search
“Think and Search” questions usually require
you to think about how ideas or information in
the text are related. You will need to look back
at the text, find the information that the question
refers to, and then think about how the
information or ideas fit together. The information
may be in multiple places in the text.
“Think and Search” questions sometimes include
the words,
“The main idea of the passage…” “What
caused…” “Compare/contrast…”
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Think and Search Examples
Explain the difference between a solid and
a gas.
 Give reasons why the civil war began.
 Find evidence in the article of causes of
pollution.
 Give at least three reasons why the south
lost the civil war.

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Author and You
“Author and You” questions require you to use
ideas and information that are not stated directly
in the text to answer the question. These
questions require you to think about what you
have read and formulate your own ideas or
opinions.
“Author and You” questions sometimes include
the words, “The author implies…” “The
passage suggests…” “The speaker’s attitude..,”
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Author and You Examples
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How might the Watson family be similar to and
different from your family?
Do you think Jacob’s dream will come true? Why
or why not?
Discuss a time when you use tools and compare
that to early man’s use of tools.
How is living in Alaska different from living where
you live?
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On Your Own
“On Your Own” questions can be answered
using your background knowledge on a
topic. This type of question is the most
infrequent question on tests of reading
comprehension because it does not require you
to refer to the text.
“On Your Own” questions sometimes include
the words, “In your opinion…” Based on your
experience…” “Think about someone or
something you know…”
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On Your Own Examples
What are some different uses for a
wooden frame?
 What are some ways that brothers and
sisters help each other?
 What would you do if you found a kayak?
 What do you know about Arctic lands?
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How do I use the QAR?
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After instruction and modeling of the four questionanswer relationships, in small groups, give students a
short passage from the current fiction or nonfiction text
they are reading and have them answer four questions,
one from each of the categories.
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Groups should identify and label each of the questionanswer relationships as they discuss the answers to
each question. The entire class can then go over the
answers and how they labeled them.
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Students should then discuss why they should use this
strategy and in what circumstances would it be most
helpful.
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When they understand the QAR..
Once students are comfortable with
identifying the type of QAR questions
along with the answers to the questions,
the teacher can assign small groups
longer passages and have them generate
the questions for the text, working
to create a given number of each
of the question-answer relationships.
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Text Features of NonFiction
(tools of the trade)
Text features are graphic aids such as:
 Maps
 Charts
 Graphs
 Diagrams
 Timelines
 Headings
 Subheadings
 Boldface words
 Italics
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Common Text Structures….
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Descriptions
Includes facts, attributes, and characteristics about
events, people, concepts, and subjects.
Most common structure used in textbooks such as Social
Studies and Science
Signal words in a description or list structure include:
to begin with
for example
for instance
most important
in front
beside
near
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Sequence or Time Order
•Chronological order of events in history or science
•A sequence or set of steps in a process
•Signal words in sequence or time order include:
first, second, third…
before
on October 6th
not long after
after that
next
at the same time
finally
then
following
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Compare and Contrast
• Emphasizes similarities and differences between two or
more subjects
• Signal words in comparing/contrasting include:
like
unlike
but
in contrast
on the other hand
however
both
also
too
as well as
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Cause and Effect/Problem
Solving
• Demonstrates how facts and events (causes) led to other facts and
events (effects)
• Shows how a single cause can produce several effects or how a
single event may be produced by several causes
• Problem is presented with one or more solutions to solve the
problem
• Signal words for cause/effect or problem/solution include:
therefore
consequently
so
this led to
as a result
because
if…then
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Hints for Reading a Social
Studies or Science Textbook
Read the lesson title and introduction
and headings
 Decide what the topic and main idea of
the lesson are
 Remember the boldface words
 Study the graphic aids
 Read the captions
 Use the QAR to answer the text questions

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Extending the QAR
A valuable extension to this strategy is to
give students a copy of Bloom’s
Taxonomy and have them generate
questions for a class discussion on the
current text they are reading. As students
present their questions, they can identify
the QAR as well as the level of Bloom’s
that would best describe the question.
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Bloom’s Taxonomy
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Levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy…

Remembering: can the student recall or remember the information?
Includes words such as : define, duplicate, list, memorize, recall, repeat, reproduce state
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Understanding: can the student explain ideas or concepts?
Includes words such as: classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize,
report, select, translate, paraphrase
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Applying: can the student use the information in a new way?
Includes words such as: choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ, illustrate, interpret,
operate, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write.
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Analyzing: can the student distinguish between the different parts?
Includes words such as: appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, differentiate, discriminate,
distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test.
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Evaluating: can the student justify a stand or decision?
Includes words such as: appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, evaluate
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Creating: can the student create new product or point of view?
Includes words such as: assemble, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, write.
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THE FIRST STEP TO SUCCESSFUL
COMPREHENSION QAR
“The researchers recommended that each strategy be
taught with singular focus, over a long period of time, to
students from kindergarten through twelfth grade and
beyond, and that teachers model and students practice
the strategies with a variety of texts. If teachers
focused their attention on a strategy, beginning with a
great deal of modeling and gradually releasing
responsibility (Gallagher and Pearson, 1983) to the
children to practice it independently, the researchers
believed students could actually be taught to think
differently as they read.”
From Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Keene
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WOW!
(Working on the Work)
Where do we go from here?
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Professional Development Resources
•Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Keene
•I Read It, But I Don’t Get It by Cris Tovani
•Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey
•Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller
•Constructing Meaning Through Kid-Friendly
Comprehension Strategy Instruction by Nancy Boyles
•Teaching Reading in Middle School by Laura Robb
•http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/612/Reading/Reading%20strategies/QAR.htm
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