Teachers often rely on traditional questioning methods that place pupils in a passive role during text discussions. However, true comprehension of a text demands active pupil participation and engagement.
Isabel Beck and colleagues created the Questioning the Author (QTA) method, which encourages pupils to actively engage with their reading.
This innovative method encourages asking questions during the reading process, promoting real-time engagement with the material.
This approach fosters an engaged reading mindset among pupils. They get more engaged with the text and lesson, increase self-confidence, and improve their knowledge of the material.
It is an effective tool for teaching kids deep reading.
The Concept of 'Questioning the Author': Active Engagement for Better Understanding
What is the writer trying to tell me? Readers often unconsciously think about this question.
Readers attempt to comprehend the author's message, whether it's informative or engaging.?
In QTA, this question is the main focus in reading education. The teacher reads a text to the class and asks questions on different passages.
- What is the writer trying to convey to us?
- Does this match what we just read? Is it clear enough?
- In fiction, what would you expect to happen?
- What do you think X is going to do next?
- Why is this a hilarious passage?
It encourages pupils to explore the significance of a piece and connect it to their prior knowledge of the subject or genre. They also recognise that one author writes more clearly and effectively than another.
This approach boosts pupils' self-confidence by demystifying the reading process, especially when faced with simplified or personalized school texts.
Beck and her team explored the effectiveness of the 'Questioning the Author' method compared to traditional classroom approaches.
The researchers identified Susan Kelly and Elisabeth Farrell (pseudonyms) ready to test this in their class for one year and requested that Susan Kelly and Elisabeth Farrell keep a diary.
The researchers' study provides a detailed report of the school year, including numerous cases.
Initially, they expressed concerns about order and loss of control. Their notes were increasingly impassioned. Kelly observes that during the experiment, there were instances of multiple kids speaking simultaneously.
Instead of being disappointed or irritated, I grew enthusiastic to react to the chorus of answers. What a difference in my teaching manner.
Farrell states, 'My perspective on teaching has altered. I now believe that control is not the most crucial factor. Instruction can come from both teachers and pupils in an open and positive discussion.
Kelly was first concerned that QTA would not be sufficient to cover all subject information.
At the end of the school year, she explains that her teaching strategy has shifted from covering a vast amount of content to focussing on deep knowledge and idea mastery.
Her pupils express real curiosity in learning more about a subject. According to Farrell, even delayed and unmotivated pupils enthusiastically participate in class discussions.
The motivation for pupils to look for hidden knowledge in a text is innate, rather than driven by external benefits like stickers or more computer time.
Core Principles of the 'Questioning the Author' Technique for Reading Comprehension
Kelly and Farrell were accustomed to the school-style question-and-answer game.
The new approach of questioning fosters a productive classroom discussion, allowing teachers and pupils to jointly analyse the author's intended message.
This takes some getting used to. A QTA question can be disguised as a standard inquiry, such as, "What does the author tell you about the wildlife?"
By the end of the school year, both professors ask fewer trivia questions and instead encourage pupils to discuss the significance of the book.
For example, “How can we reconcile it with what the author told us before?”.
They also employ prior knowledge more frequently. QTA eliminates the distinction between correct and incorrect answers. Answers should be paraphrased or refined to contribute to the conversation (e.g., "So you mean that...").
Throughout the school year, children are given increasingly greater say. In Farrell's lessons, speaking time doubles, and in Kelly's, it triples.
The researchers found that QTA teachers reply to tough portions in the text by saying, "I have no idea what the writer means by this, do you?"
This encourages pupils to speak up. Both teachers' classes encourage pupils to ask questions and respond to their classmates. The typical conversation between teacher and individual is no longer applicable.
Pupils get more engaged in the lesson and text, but do they read better? The researchers lacked hard proof as they did not have a control group to compare improvement with.
However, pupils demonstrate a better knowledge of the text in assessments at the conclusion of the school year compared to the beginning.
Initially, 75% of pupils lacked understanding of the text. Three-quarters of participants can identify where they comprehend a piece and where they do not.
They can now track their own reading progress.
Beck and her colleagues are pleased: QTA requires attention from teachers, but it results in inspiring and effective reading instruction.
This study's teachers' experiences provide valuable insights. They noticed changes in both themselves and their class. Pupils showed genuine interest in readings, and even those with limited reading skills were able to contribute.
QTA improves pupil enthusiasm and self-confidence, in addition to text comprehension. Additionally, these characteristics can help improve reading proficiency.
Implementing 'Questioning the Author' in Your Classroom: A Step-by-Step Guide
QTA is a potential strategy for improving pupil reading comprehension skills. Some elements have already made their way into classrooms.
For example, modeling involves saying aloud how you read a text and what questions come to mind. The challenge is to read through the eyes of inexperienced readers: which paragraphs may raise questions for pupils with less prior knowledge than you?
Decide in advance which passages you will pause your reading (aloud) to discuss the content and meaning.
Your questions spark thought. There should be no predetermined correct or incorrect answers. Your questions are not meant to assess reading comprehension, but to nourish it.
Demonstrating that you, too, find certain parts unusual or unclear encourages pupils to share their interpretations.
Collaboration is a crucial aspect of QTA. Pupils do not respond to enquiries about a text individually, but rather look for the meaning of that text in a class discussion.
They respond to one other's responses and ask each other questions, you summarise the replies, ask additional questions, and ask new questions.
When writing informative texts, it's crucial to tap into pupils’ prior knowledge and connect it to the material. Expectations, story logic, and empathy are the most common questions asked when reading narrative texts.
Key Takeaways: Benefits of 'Questioning the Author' for Pupil Engagement and Comprehension
- Active reading is essential for deep comprehension of texts.
- When reading a piece, speak out loud any questions that spring to mind.
- Asking clarifying questions while reading encourages active reading.
- Use pupil responses to generate new questions and spark conversation about the book.
Next up in this series: Digital vs. Paper Reading: Why Pupils Read Less Deeply on Screens
Reference
Beck, I. L., et al. (1996). Questioning the author: a yearlong classroom implementation to engage students with text.