Levels of Comprehension
The three levels of comprehension, or sophistication of thinking, are presented in the following hierarchy from the least to the most sophisticated level of reading.
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Least = surface, simple reading
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Most = in-depth, complex reading
Level One
LITERAL - what is actually stated.
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Facts and details
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Rote learning and memorization
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Surface understanding only
Tests in this category are objective tests dealing with true / false, multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions.
Common questions used to illicit this type of thinking are who, what, when, and where questions.
Level Two
INTERPRETIVE - what is implied or meant, rather than what is actually stated.
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Drawing inferences
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Tapping into prior knowledge / experience
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Attaching new learning to old information
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Making logical leaps and educated guesses
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Reading between the lines to determine what is meant by what is stated.
Tests in this category are subjective, and the types of questions asked are open-ended, thought-provoking questions like why, what if, and how.
Level Three
APPLIED - taking what was said (literal) and what was meant by what was said (interpretive) and then extend (apply) the concepts or ideas beyond the situation.
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Analyzing
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Synthesizing
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Applying
In this level we are analyzing or synthesizing information and applying it to other information.