comprehension

Mental grasp achieved

Comprehension is the ability to understand something: Children with good language comprehension learn to read earlier than others do.

The word is used in the same way as a countable noun to describe a test of comprehension: The reading comprehension was very difficult.

Comprehension has a second meaning with a different emphasis: the ability to appreciate the full range of something.

In this sense it is typically used in the phrase beyond comprehension: The damage that was done was beyond comprehension.

educational

instruction

Guidance for action

curriculumEducational program's content plan
pedagogyArt of instruction
teachingProfession of instructing others

learning · assessment · standards · scaffolding · differentiation · remediation · tutoring · classroom · lesson · testing

cognitive

understanding

Mental comprehension of something

graspSeize or understand
cognitionMental knowledge acquisition
perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli

awareness · discernment · cognizance · assimilation · processing · mental · intellect · recognition · realization · sense-making

analytical

interpretation

Assigned meaning

analysisMethodical study of parts
reasoningDrawing logical conclusions
inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning

deduction · synthesis · exegesis · hermeneutics · contextualize · decode · evaluate · critique · logic · argument

insight

epiphany

Sudden profound insight

enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
realizationGrasping what's true
intuitionInstinctive immediate understanding

revelation · wisdom · acumen · discernment · perspicacity · foresight · breakthrough · dawning · penetration · depth

reading

literacy

Ability to read, write

fluencySmooth linguistic command
decodingExtracting meaning from symbols
vocabularyOne's word collection

passage · text · reader · assessment · proficiency · skills · readability · legibility · retention · recall

clarity

lucidity

Clearness of mind

transparencyState of being see-through
explicitnessQuality of being unambiguous
intelligibilityQuality of being understood

coherence · plainness · precision · accessibility · simplicity · articulateness · perspicuity · conciseness · distinctness

Categories

language artsgrammar rules, vocabulary building, phonics, spelling bees, writing prompts
life skillsreading, writing, cooking, cleaning, laundry
literacyliteracy, reading, spelling, alphabet, writing
reading skillsvocabulary, literacy skills, decoding, grammar, fluency
language skillsspeaking, reading, writing, listening, fluent
listeningactive listening, attentive, listening skills, focused attention, full attention

Opposites

understanding vs. failure to understand

comprehensionincomprehension

Lack of understanding

misunderstanding · confusion · misapprehension · bewilderment · miscomprehension

knowledge vs. ignorance

comprehensionignorance

Absence of knowledge

nescience · unawareness · cluelessness · unfamiliarity · blindness

mental clarity vs. cognitive dysfunction

comprehensioninsanity

Severe mental illness

idiocy · mental incapacity · cognitive impairment · stupidity · obtuseness

Phrases

reading comprehensionUnderstanding written material
comprehension exercisesTasks assessing textual understanding
comprehensive examsQualifying doctoral examinations
comprehensive listInventory missing nothing
comprehensive planThorough strategy for everything
listening comprehensionUnderstanding spoken language

Family

comprehensive, comprehensible, incomprehensible, comprehensively, incomprehension, comprehensiveness, incomprehensibly, comprehensibility, comprehensibly

Familiarity: Top 10,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G