Robust Comprehension Instruction with Questioning the Author

Isabel L. Beck, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She has conducted extensive research and published widely on decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. She is the recipient of the Oscar S. Causey Award from the Literacy Research Association, the William S. Gray Citation of Merit from the International Literacy Association, and the Contributing Researcher Award from the American Federation of Teachers. Dr. Beck was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame and is an elected member of the National Academy of Education. She is coauthor of books including Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition; Creating Robust Vocabulary; Illuminating Comprehension and Close Reading; Making Sense of Phonics, Second Edition; and Robust Comprehension Instruction with Questioning the Author.

Margaret G. McKeown, PhD, is Clinical Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Before her retirement, she was also a Senior Scientist at the Universitys Learning Research and Development Center. Her work addresses practical, current problems that classroom teachers and their students face. She has conducted research in the areas of learning, instruction, and teacher professional development in reading comprehension and vocabulary. Dr. McKeown received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the International Literacy Association, is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame. She is coauthor of books including Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition; Creating Robust Vocabulary; Robust Comprehension Instruction with Questioning the Author; and Vocabulary Assessment to Support Instruction.

Cheryl A. Sandora, PhD, is an English Language Arts Fellow at the Institute for Learning, an outreach of the University of Pittsburgh, where she designs curricular materials and works with districts throughout the country, facilitating professional development sessions and supporting classroom-based instruction. Dr. Sandora was a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center for over 20 years, working closely with Isabel L. Beck and Margaret G. McKeown to conduct classroom-based research on instructional practices targeting vocabulary and comprehension. She is coauthor of Illuminating Comprehension and Close Reading and Robust Comprehension Instruction with Questioning the Author.

- Background and Basics

1. The Building Blocks of Questioning the Author

2. The Current Scene in Reading Comprehension

- Questioning the Author Essentials

3. Planning for Questioning the Author Lessons

4. Specific Plans for a Narrative and an Expository Text

5. Digging into Initiating and Follow-Up Queries

6. Specific Plans for a Narrative and an Expository Read-Aloud Text

- Special Topics

7. What Comes after Reading and Interspersed Discussion?

8. Vocabulary in the Context of Comprehension

9. Approaching Writing with a Questioning the Author Perspective

- Inside the Classroom

10. Moves to Keep Discussion Productive

11. One Teacher’s Journey with Questioning the Author

12. Students Take the Wheel

Appendix. Lesson Texts from Chapters 4 and 6

“The pioneering developers of QtA have examined the research, observed classroom discussions, and talked with teachers using QtA to further develop their effective approach. They have expanded QtA to include vocabulary and writing components along with text discussion. In particular, I am impressed with the numerous examples of QtA in action. Bravo!”



—Timothy Rasinski, PhD, Professor of Literacy Education, and Rebecca Tolle and Burton W. Gorman Chair in Educational Leadership, Kent State University





“A gem. Beck, McKeown, and Sandora synthesize decades of research and insight to show how teachers can effectively and authentically teach comprehension alongside vocabulary in any genre, subject, or grade level.”



—Jon Gustafson, MA, sixth-grade teacher, Columbia Heights Public Schools, Minnesota