Questioning

“Questioning is the strategy that propels readers forward.”

Questions Help Us To…

• Construct meaning• Enhance

understanding• Find answers• Solve problems• Find specific

information

• Acquire a body of information

• Discover new information

• Propel research efforts• Clarify confusion

Asking Questions Allows Readers to:

• Clarify meaning• Make predictions• Determine an author’s style, content, or format• Locate a specific answer in the text• Focus their attention on important components of

the text• Recognize that other readers’ questions may

inspire new questions

QAR• There is a relationship between the TYPE

of question asked and WHERE the answer is found.

• Q-Question• A-Answer• R-Relationship

Answers to questions are found in 1 of 2 places--

• In the BOOK

OR

• In your HEAD

IN THE BOOK QUESTIONS

• There are two different types of “in the book questions…

“RIGHT THERE” questionsand“THINK AND SEARCH” questions

IN THE BOOK QUESTIONS, cont.

• “Right there” questions: the answer is found “RIGHT THERE” in the text. It is a short answer. You can point to it.

Example:Text: Sally was wearing a blue dress.RIGHT THERE QUESTION: What color

was Sally’s dress?

IN THE BOOK QUESTIONS, cont.

• “Think and Search” questions: the answer is in the book, but in more than one place. There is a definite right or wrong answer to this question because the book contains the answer. The answer is just found in multiple places…you have to SEARCH in different places and THINK about the entire answer.

IN THE BOOK QUESTIONS, cont.

• Think and SearchExampleText: Sally was having a horrible day. After waking

up late for school, she burned herself with her flat iron. She spilled lunch down the front of her blue dress in front of the whole cafeteria. The boy she liked was holding hands with her nemesis, and she bombed a test she forgot to study for.

THINK AND SEARCH QUESTION: What caused Sally to have a horrible day?

IN MY HEAD QUESTIONS

• There are two types of “In My Head” questions…

ON MY OWN questionsandAUTHOR AND ME questions

IN MY HEAD QUESTIONS, cont.

• “On My Own” Questions: The answer is found only in your head…or “on your own”. You don’t need to read ANYTHING to be able to answer the question. There is no right or wrong response.

ExampleText: Henry could have sworn a ghost was entering his

room.ON MY OWN QUESTION: Do you believe in

ghosts?

IN MY HEAD QUESTIONS, cont.

• Author and Me Questions: The answers to these questions are INFERENCES. In other words, you need to combine what you read in the text with what you already know to come up with the answer. You need the author’s words (author) AND your thoughts (me) to answer the question.

IN MY HEAD QUESTIONS, cont.

Author and Me ExampleText: The door creaked open slowly and Henry felt

a cold breeze enter his bedroom. Chills ran down his spine and his heart started beating quickly. With his palms clammy and unable to speak, he slowly slid the covers over his head, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.

AUTHOR AND ME QUESTION: Based on this passage, what is Henry feeling?

QAR

• Recognizing the different types of questions makes it easier for you to find the answers…because you KNOW WHERE TO LOOK.