Using Question Answer Relationships (QAR) in Lower Primary Grades

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

Background

'Question Answer Relationships' (QAR) is an instructional strategy which can be used to categorise and answer a variety of reading comprehension questions. Its use has been widely researched and documented at upper primary level, but very little has been studied regarding using QAR at lower primary level. This action research study resulted from a training session where kindergarten and lower primary teachers expressed reservations about the application of QAR at their level.

Aims

This study aims to investigate how QAR can be implemented at kindergarten and lower primary level to help students improve their reading comprehension, and to inquire into the attitude of teachers as they use QAR as part of their classroom instruction.

Sample

The sample comprised four teachers and 69 students from their respective classes. The teachers were one from the kindergarten, one each from Grades 1 and 2, and a K-2 special education teacher from a school in the United States.

Method

The four teachers received initial training on the use of QAR, which was then implemented at class level over a four week period. During this period, the teachers received further support from one of the authors in applying the strategy. Additionally, classroom observations were conducted during the period of the intervention, pre- and post-tests were applied using the school’s reading scheme, and interviews were conducted with the students and teachers.

Findings

The authors reported their findings for each teacher and students at their respective levels. These findings were framed by providing the students’ reading level for each class. Both teachers and students reported positive attitudes towards the use of QAR, and the post-tests indicated an improvement in the students’ overall reading comprehension. The student interviews indicated that they enjoyed learning the strategy, and they all felt it helped them understand the stories. The teachers also reported their surprise at the students’ ability to make cognitive links which they had previously considered to be beyond their students’ developmental level.

Implications

The authors highlighted that using QAR in combination with a variety of instructional materials motivated the students to use the strategy. They suggested that QAR could be applied successfully at kindergarten, and lower primary levels with appropriate professional support, and could result in improvement in reading comprehension.

Original article retrieved from EBSCOHost.