QAR

Question-Answer-Relationship Strategy

What is QAR?

• The purpose of the QAR strategy is to help understand there are different types of questions about the material you read and also a variety of sources to find the answers.

• As a reader, you need to recognize that you must first consider the question before developing an answer.

Question-Answer-Relationship (QAR)

There are 2 categories of questions.

1) Text-based (in-the-book)QARs– Right There – Think and Search

2) Knowledge-based (in-my-head) QARs– Author and Me– On My Own

Text-based QARs

“Right There” questions ask readers to respond at the literal level; the words used to answer the questions can be found “right there” in the text of the book.

“Right There” questions may begin with words such as:

• Who is…• Where is…• List…• How many…• What is…• When is…

“Think and Search” questions require the reader to “think” about how the information or ideas in the text relate to one another, and to “search” through the passage to find the information that applies.

• The answer is in the book, but may not be easy to find. You may have to combine pieces of information from different places in the book.

“Think and Search” questions may begin with words like:

• Summarize…• What caused…• Compare…• Explain…• Retell…• Contrast…• Find examples of…

Knowledge-based QARs

“Author and Me” questions use the reader’s prior knowledge and information from the text. The answer will include information that is beyond what is found in the text.

The reader must read the text to understand what the question is asking because typically the author will give hints or clues that you combine with your own knowledge to help you figure out the correct answer.

“Author and Me” questions may begin with statements like:

• Show how…• Make a chart…• Consider the difference…• In your opinion…• Imagine what would…

“On My Own” questions can be answered with information from the reader’s background knowledge and do not require reading from the text.

These types of questions you really have to take time to think through because the information is based on what you already know or have experienced.

“On My Own” questions may begin with:

• Tell how these are alike…• Summarize…• Explain the difference…• Why do you think…