Intro to Assessment: Verbal Comprehension

Verbal Comprehension is one of the many areas of intellectual functioning I assess in educational evaluations. It is a foundational cognitive process that helps us to understand and apply word knowledge. It’s relevant to many tasks of your daily life! 

What are Verbal Comprehension Skills?

Think of Verbal Comprehension as the ability to use and verbalize “background knowledge.” Verbal Comprehension is part of a larger “crystallized” aspect of intelligence, meaning it comes from prior learning and experiences. Because this type of intelligence is acquired, there are many factors that can influence performance on Verbal Comprehension tasks, including previous learning experiences, specific environments, enrichment activities, culture, as well as other aspects of receptive/expressive language skills. Assessing Verbal Comprehension helps me understand your to take in, access, and apply word knowledge. That way, I can identify your ability to verbalize meaningful concepts and express their knowledge effectively using words. 

What do Verbal Comprehension scores in the “Average” range mean?

If someone performs in the Average range, this means that they have an appropriate depth and breadth of word knowledge. They can communicate and express their ideas and knowledge just like that of many others their age and development, which can contribute to their academic mastery.  Without any other barriers or learning difficulties, someone with Average Verbal Comprehension has the capacity to learn efficiently in school and express their ideas. 

What do Verbal Comprehension scores in the “High Average, Very High, or Extremely High” range mean?

Above average Verbal Comprehension performance scores typically indicate someone who is highly verbal and who may enjoy coming up with new words, learning facts, and sharing their knowledge. This individual may communicate and express their ideas well, with a breadth and depth of specific topic knowledge, and may be skilled in broad fact knowledge. Sometimes, individuals with high Verbal Comprehension skills can also struggle to condense their ideas, due to their breadth of knowledge - this is common among individuals of gifted intellect as well.

What do Verbal Comprehension scores in the “Low Average, Very Low, or Extremely Low” range mean?

Lower than Average Verbal Comprehension scores may indicate underdeveloped verbal skills through the lens of standardized assessment. These individuals may struggle to express their ideas concisely or struggle with word knowledge or retrieval. Since Verbal Comprehension skills are important in school settings, a student with lower than Average Verbal Comprehension may struggle with reading, finding words, remembering vocabulary words, or putting their thoughts into writing. There can be many factors that influence Verbal Comprehension performance, including underlying neurodevelopmental weaknesses such as ADHD, anxiety, and other cultural and environmental factors, so these domains should also be taken into account when considering these scores.

How do Verbal Comprehension skills affect learning?

Verbal Comprehension skills are impacted by outside learning and enrichment opportunities, as well as other cultural and environmental factors that are not captured by a standardized assessment measure. Remember, Verbal Comprehension taps into one’s “acquired” knowledge. Thus, it is important to think about the experiences someone may have had that supported or hindered their knowledge and development. Verbal Comprehension aids in one’s ability to understand and express facts, so it can have implications for children and teens in school. Research supports that Verbal Comprehension skills are highly linked to reading, reading comprehension, writing, math problem solving, and any class where applying your knowledge through words is of high importance. As such, it’s important to provide additional opportunities for someone to build those skills, as well as support to express their knowledge in more efficient ways. 

What are some ways to enhance Verbal Comprehension Skills? (This is mostly geared toward kids and teens!)

• Improve enrichment and learning opportunities based on interests. If reading is not a preferred activity of interest, consider other written content based on topics of interest and expand to other general ideas (graphic novels, comics, nonfiction texts). If a child is old enough to read independently, help them find books or audiobooks related to topics they enjoy. If you read to your child, increase frequency and include reading as part of a regular routine

• Improve vocabulary: Do a “word of the day” that helps gradually improve their knowledge of words related to school topics or themes. Try to see and identify these words out in daily life.

• Encourage explaining things in detail, such as the steps needed to complete a task or giving a “run down” on something fun they did. This builds vocabulary and confidence in using knowledge of words to help others understand.

• Try dictating or writing out “summaries” about something that' is read, watched, or learned. If reading for pleasure, ask questions about what was learned or have general conversations about topics of interest. Point out sequences of events and story structure, as well opportunities to make inferences about what something might mean (such as metaphors, sarcasm, and figurative language).

• Break reading into smaller chunks. Reading involves many cognitive processes other than verbal comprehension (more on that soon!), including executive functioning (such as attention, tracking). Chunking long reading assignments into smaller, more manageable parts, can help improve focus and attention to the quality, rather than quantity. Consider e-readers and audiobooks for accessibility as needed.

• Keep it fun! There are many family friendly games that tap into Verbal Comprehension skills. Any individual or family game that involves “acting out” or guessing words, topics, or themes helps us to learn, acquire, and express knowledge in a multi-sensory, fun, and non-threatening way. Some family friendly options include charades, Pictionary, Codenames, or Head’s Up.

Stay tuned for more posts about other areas of intellectual functioning, as well as many more posts to demystify the testing process!

Sources:

1. Sternberg, R. J., & Powell, J. S. (1983). Comprehending verbal comprehension. American Psychologist, 38(8), 878–893. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.38.8.878

2. American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (2014). Standards for educational and psychological testing. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

3. Ayearst, L. E., & Bagby, R. M. (2010). Evaluating the psychometric properties of psychological measures. In M. M. Antony & D. H. Barlow (Eds.), Handbook of assessment and treatment planning for psychological disorders (pp. 23–61). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

4. Groth-Marnat, G., & Wright, A. J. (2016). Handbook of psychological assessment (6th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.