As we work with our students on QAR strategies, the ability to answer each question is only half of what we wish to accomplish. The other piece of the puzzle is to improve the student’s ability to identify the type of question and what mental steps must be followed to FIND the answer. This is a process that promotes meaningful dialog and must be explicitly modeled. When students are given the opportunity to think about thinking, they will be able to transfer these skills to independent reading (and assessment). This routine is even more important as a reflective dialog when a question is answered incorrectly…to quote the French playwright, Eugene Ionesco; it is not the answer that enlightens, but the question!
The Principal's Point of View 