Reading Comprehension Strategy: Questioning

QUESTIONING 2

Tunisia Johnson

Reading Comprehension Strategy: Questioning

Towson University

Reading Comprehension Strategy: Questioning

“It is clear from research that all students need instruction in reading comprehension, especially the kind that focuses on the strategies required to answer and generate questions” (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.208).

The Research

“Question generation is an important comprehension fostering and self-regulatory cognitive strategy” (Rosenshine, Meister, & Chapman, 1996, p.181). Composing questions allows students to focus their attention to the content (Rosenshine et al., 1996). It is the key component in assisting students in performing higher level cognitive functions because it allows teachers and students to “ focus on the value of identifying or developing procedures that students can use to independently assist them in their learning” (Rosenshine et al., 1996, p.182). Through generating questions, students are able to “search the text and combine information, which helps the students comprehend what they read” (Rosenshine et al., 1996, p.182).

What cognitive strategies are available to assist students in completing less-structured, higher level task of reading comprehension which is generally more difficult for students? The strategy needs to be able to foster comprehension, allow for active processing, and allow students to monitor their comprehension. When students compose questions they “play an active role in the learning process, initiating their role in the learning process” (Rosenshine et al., 1996, p.183). Students’ engagement in these processes may lead to improved comprehension. According to Rosenshine, Meister, and Chapman (1996), “teaching students to ask questions can help them become sensitive to important points in the text and thus monitor the state of their reading comprehension” (p.183).

What is metacognition? According to Wilson and Smetana (2009), metacognition is “thinking about thinking” or “the process of monitoring and regulating cognition” (Wilson & Smetana, 2009, p.20). In order for students to monitor and regulate in the classroom they must be active learners and engage in challenging tasks (Wilson & Smetana, 2009). When students monitor they check for understanding; when students regulate they “choose appropriate strategies for improving understanding” (Wilson & Smetana, 2009, p20). Students can become better learners when they understand their own thinking (Wilson & Smetana, 2009). Wilson and Smetana (2009) indicate that “questioning is an effective place to begin metacognition instruction because it is a daily part of the school experience” ( p.21).

Question-answer relationship (QAR) strategy was developed as a tool for “clarifying how students can approach a task of reading text and answering questions” (Beal, 2010, p.1). Many times students do not realize that they need to consider both information from the text and their own background knowledge. QAR helps students make that realization. QAR provides a straightforward approach for teaching reading comprehension (Raphael & Au, 2005). The first research on the QAR strategy done over two decades ago showed that QAR “could reliably improve students’ comprehension” (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.208). Many research studies since Raphael’s original study have been conducted in the elementary and secondary grade levels which prove that QAR “improves students’ comprehension” (Kinniburgh & Prew, 2010, p.32). According to Raphael and Au (2005), “QAR instruction should not wait until students read independently” (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.211). Kinniburgh and Prew (2010) state that by beginning QAR instruction in grades K-2 “a common language can be built that will lay the foundation for effecting reading comprehension instruction in future grades” (Kinniburgh & Prew, 2010, p.33). In a study conducted by Kinniburgh and Prew (2010), one kindergarten teacher felt QAR was “very appropriate for kindergarten students through oral presentation” and that QAR “laid a solid foundation to build upon in the first grade” (Kinniburgh & Prew, 2010, p.35).

QAR instruction can be modified for use across grade levels and content areas because of “the way the categories of questions form a progression of difficulty” (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.213). If students receive QAR instruction by the time they enter into intermediate grades, they can “develop sophisticated strategies” that can assist them in evaluating questions and creating good answers (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.213). Through a study on QAR and test taking in a fourth grade classroom one researcher found that students “learned to value the skimming or re-reading strategies required to locate specific information in the text for QAR, while simultaneously recognizing the role of their prior knowledge in answering questions” (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.217).

“Essentially, QAR instruction amplifies students’ awareness of the necessity of considering both text-based and reader-based information when answering certain types of questions” (McIntosh & Draper, 1996, p.2). This can be found in all content areas. In math, “to answer certain questions and to solve certain problems in the book, students must use some degree of both book (text-based) and brain (reader-based)” (McIntosh & Draper, 1996, p.2). Much has changed in mathematics curriculum. Textbooks now have running text instead of few words. Math textbooks also have longer words problems, verbal explanations and questions (McIntosh & Draper, 1996). When students are taught the QAR strategy it allows them to take an active learning stance in mathematics as well as other content areas (McIntosh & Draper, 1996). For instance, the findings in a study on QAR strategy conducted by Okebukola and Owolabi (2007) provided evidence supporting “the efficacy of QAR method in bringing about conceptual change in science as indexed by significant improvement in integrated science scores” (Okebukola & Owolabi, 2007, p.177). Through QAR students can recall, clarify, and question what they know about a subject and what they still want to know about a subject (Okebukola & Owolabi, 2007). When reading comprehension skills and strategies are incorporated into science through QAR strategy, as well as other content areas, students can “become more confident in their reading abilities when reading science texts” and text in other content areas as well (Okebukola & Owolabi, 2007, p.177).

Raphael and Au (2005) state “students of different age levels benefit from different amounts and types of QAR instruction” (Raphael &Au, 2005, P.213). Students prior to second grade seem to respond best when introduced initially to a two category distinction of sources of information: In the Book and In My Head (Raphael & Au, 2005). Middle school students benefit from extensive use of the category system (Raphael & Au, 2005). However, middle school students can learn all categories in a single lesson (Raphael & Au, 2005).

In order for students to become independent in using the strategy there has to be a gradual release of responsibility. Teachers must first model the desired behavior (Beal, 2010). In the case of QAR the desired behavior is asking questions, finding answers, and categorizing the question-answer relationship (Beal, 2010).Then teachers gradually release responsibility for learning to the students, allowing them to practice the desired behavior (Beal, 2010).Lastly, the teacher observes and evaluates the students’ use through providing students the opportunity to practice the strategy independently (Beal, 2010).

To increase the likelihood that students will be able to successfully use the strategy independently, students need to be taught to answer four questions: 1) what is the strategy? 2) How do you perform the strategy? 3) When would you use the strategy? 4) Why would you use the strategy (Beal, 2010)?

When introducing the QAR strategy it is important to begin setting a clear picture in students’ minds that can help them see the differences between In the Book and In My Head (Beal, 2010).Teachers start with Right There and Search and Locate question-answer relationships and then move to into In My Head question-answer relationships (Beal, 2010). Once students have a clear understanding that “their background knowledge is a relevant source of information for answering questions” teachers can then move on to Author and Me and On My Own (Beal, 2010, p.2). “The key distinction is whether or not the reader needs to read the text for the question to make sense” (Beal, 2010, p.3).

Based on the research, QAR can:

·  Improve students’ reading comprehension

·  Lay a foundation for reading comprehension

·  Guide and promote students to higher levels of literacy

·  Help students see the relationships between questions and answers

·  Be used across the curriculum to improve content area literacy

·  Help engage students

·  Help students become active learners by monitoring and regulating their thinking

“Promoting high levels of literacy for all students is a core responsibility for today’s teachers” (Raphael & Au, 2005, p.206). Students must meet high standards for literacy achievement. There are many pieces to the puzzle of literacy. QAR is one reading comprehension strategy that can assist teachers and students in completing the puzzle.

References

Beal, J. . (2010, September 23). Question answer relationship teaching children where to seek answers to questions. Retrieved from http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/tools.htm

Kinniburgh, L.H., & Prew, S.S. (2010). Question answer relationships (qar) in primary grades: laying the foundation for reading comprehension. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 2(1), 31-44.

McIntosh, M.E., & Draper, R. (1996). Using the question-answer relationship strategy to improve students' reading of mathematics. Clearing House, 69(3), 154-162.

Okebukola, F., & Owolabi, T. (2007). The efficacy of question-answer-relationships (qar) on students' achievement and conceptual change in science. The International Journal of Learning, 14(5), 173-178.

Raphael, T. (1982). Improving question-answering performance through instruction . Reading Education Report, 32, 1-64.

Raphael, T.E., & Au, K.H. (2005). Qar: enhancing comprehension and test taking across grades and content areas. The Reading Teacher, 59(3), 206-221.

Rosenshine, B., Meister, C., & Chapman, S. (1996). Teaching students to generate questions: a review of intervention studies. Review of Educational Research, 66(2), 181-221.

Wilson, N.S., & Smetana, L. (2009). Questioning as thinking: a metacognitive framework. Middle School Journal, 41(2), 20-28.