Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)
Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)
The QAR or the Question - Answer Relationship is an effective reading comprehension strategy that can be applied in the classroom for the classification and the arrangement of the types of questions according to their relationship with the text. This also equips the learners with the knowledge on how to deal with the different types of questions hence improving their critical thinking and comprehension skills.
What are the different types of questions in the QAR strategy?
The QAR strategy refers to the classification of questions into four main types: Right There questions, Think and Search questions, Author and You questions, and On Your Own questions. The Right There questions can be answered right away and directly from the text, while the Think and Search questions need the student to synthesize the information from different parts of the text. The Author and You questions have a twofold answer that is a quotation from the text and an idea that you think about or insist on, and the On Your Own Questions make it necessary to include only the information that is the student's own opinion or experience.
How can QAR improve reading comprehension for students?
QAR helps students improve their reading comprehension through the learning of how to identify what type of question is being asked and the corresponding strategy for finding the answer. By knowing how to sort questions, students have the additional capacity to understand texts better and actively respond to texts leading to a deeper comprehension and engagement with the content.
Can you give an example of a Right There question?
A Right There question could be, 'Which color is the T-shirt of the main character in the story?' This question is the type that someone can easily answer by finding a specific piece of information in the text without any inference or prior knowledge thus demonstrating again the importance of close reading.
How can teachers effectively implement the QAR strategy in the classroom?
At the beginning of the QAR strategy implementation, the teachers can make students aware of the different question types and provide them with the necessary examples. They can do this by using some guided practices that will require the students to read and suggest texts where questions should be organized. What is more, having the students brainstorm their thoughts on the logic of each answer can reinforce the concept and improve retention of the material.