Restate The Question¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 4 studies (2 quant-synthesis, 1 causal, 1 associational), q2–q4 · 1 of 4 report an effect size

Description¶

Restating the question asks learners to paraphrase a question or problem in their own words before attempting an answer. The instructor treats the restatement as the first required step of any response, refusing the "right answer" shortcut and instead surfacing how the learner has interpreted the task. This converts answering from recall into comprehension, and gives the instructor a diagnostic window into misread instructions, misidentified quantities, or misframed problems.

Design Implications¶

Restatement is a comprehension check that precedes problem solving: generating a paraphrase forces learners to construct a situation model of the task rather than pattern-matching to surface features Self-explanation improves conceptual understanding. [+S]. Because the paraphrase is produced before any answer, errors in interpretation are caught at the cheapest possible point — before effort is invested in solving the wrong problem. The strategy also slows responding, which reduces impulsive, answer-focused behavior common in high-anxiety or "right answer" classroom cultures.

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Instructors skilled in questioning who can probe a paraphrase ("What is this question asking you to find?") without simply supplying the answer
• A classroom norm that restatement is expected on every substantive question, not a sign of failure
• Questions worth restating — multi-step or conceptually loaded tasks, not simple factual recall

Constraints¶

• Not useful for learners with no prior knowledge of the topic: they cannot generate a meaningful paraphrase and may produce verbatim echoes [~M]
• Time-consuming in large classes; oral restatement from every student is impractical, so written or paired variants are needed
• Can become a rote ritual ("restate the question by copying it") if the instructor accepts paraphrases that merely repeat the original wording — the requirement must be genuine reformulation
• Less valuable for single-step recall questions, where restatement adds load without adding comprehension [-W]

Implementation Variability¶

• Oral restatement in whole-class or one-on-one settings, with the instructor probing the paraphrase
• Written restatement as the first line of a problem solution (common in math and science notebooks)
• Peer restatement: students restate the question to a partner, who confirms or corrects the interpretation
• Underline-and-rephrase: learners mark the operative verb and key terms, then rephrase (see Annotating)
• Restate-and-estimate: after paraphrasing, learners predict roughly what a reasonable answer would look like before computing

Target Learners¶

• Novices and intermediate learners who misread multi-step instructions or jump to computation before comprehension [+M]
• Learners with math anxiety or fear of mistakes, for whom the restatement step provides a low-risk entry into a problem and delays the moment of "being wrong"
• English language learners, when paired with Accessible Vocabulary & Syntax supports — restatement exposes vocabulary misunderstandings immediately
• Less beneficial for experts, who already compress problem interpretation automatically [~W]

Target Learning Goals¶

• Reading comprehension of task demands: identifying what is actually being asked
• Conceptual understanding over rote recall — restatement blocks pattern-matching to surface features
• Metacognitive monitoring: learners practice checking their own interpretation before acting
• Communication and academic discourse: articulating problems precisely in one's own words

Instructions¶

1. Pose a substantive question or problem and state the norm: "Before you answer, tell me what this question is asking, in your own words."
2. Have learners restate individually or in pairs; for written work, require the paraphrase as the first line of the solution. Allow Individual Reflection time before oral sharing.
3. Probe the restatement: ask what the operative verb means, what is given, and what is unknown. Use Annotating (circling the verb, underlining key quantities) to support the paraphrase.
4. Correct misinterpretations at this stage — before any solving begins — rather than marking errors in the final answer.
5. Accept only genuine reformulation; a copied version of the question does not count.
6. Fade the requirement as interpretation becomes automatic, shifting to self-prompting ("Did I restate this? Do I know what's being asked?").

Related Strategies¶

• Think-Aloud Modeling — instructors model restatement aloud so learners hear what accurate interpretation sounds like
• Activating Prior Knowledge — restatement connects a new problem to what learners already know
• Wait Time — the pause that makes thoughtful restatement possible instead of impulsive answering

Examples¶

• In a middle-school math class, before solving "A train leaves at 3:00 traveling 60 mph…", students must write what the question asks them to find, what values are given, and what the verb ("how long until…") means — catching the common error of computing distance instead of time.
• In a literature discussion, a teacher asks a student to restate "How does the author use symbolism to develop theme?" as "What objects stand for bigger ideas, and how do they show the message?" before the student answers, revealing that the student had conflated symbol with setting.
• In a programming course, students restate a specification ("This function takes a list and returns…") in a comment above their code before writing it; the instructor reviews the paraphrases to catch misread requirements early.

Key Sources¶

• Chi, M. T. H., de Leeuw, N., Chiu, M.-H., & LaVancher, C. (1994). Eliciting self-explanations improves understanding. Cognitive Science, 18(3), 439–477. doi:10.1207/s15516709cog1803_3
• Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students' learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. doi:10.1177/1529100612453266
• Rosenshine, B., & Stevens, R. (1986). Teaching functions. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 376–391). Macmillan.
• Walshaw, M., & Anthony, G. (2008). The teacher's role in classroom discourse: A review of recent research into mathematics classrooms. Review of Educational Research, 78(3), 516–551. doi:10.3102/0034654308320292