IEP reading goals
Letter sound IEP goals
6 example goals for letter sounds, each with a condition, behavior, criterion, measure and time frame.
Short answer
A letter-sound IEP goal states which letters or spellings, how the student responds (says the sound), the criterion (for example, 26 of 26 or 40 correct sounds per minute) and how it is measured. Track sounds, not letter names, because sounds predict decoding.
These are example goals for discussion. Each student's goals are written by the IEP team from that student's own assessment data. This page is not legal advice.
When does a letter sounds goal make sense?
A student who doesn't know the sound for each letter can't decode, however much practice they get with books. Letter sounds are the base of every phonics skill above them, and they're quick to measure: show a letter, wait for the sound.
A letter-sound goal fits a kindergartner or first grader who knows fewer than about 20 consonant and short vowel sounds, or an older student who still mixes up b and d or short e and short i. For an older student, keep the goal narrow. "Will say the short vowel sound for a, e, i, o and u" is more useful than all 26 letters if the consonants are already solid.
Use accuracy for students still learning sounds, and add a timed rate once accuracy is high. A student who knows every sound but needs three seconds each will still read slowly.
Example letter sounds goals
By the annual review, shown the 26 lowercase letters in random order, the student will say the most common sound for each letter with 24 of 26 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by an untimed letter-sound check.
- Condition
- Shown the 26 lowercase letters in random order
- Behavior
- Say the most common sound for each letter
- Criterion
- With 24 of 26 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- An untimed letter-sound check
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, shown the 5 vowel letters in random order, 4 times each, the student will say the short vowel sound with 19 of 20 correct on 3 consecutive weekly probes, measured by a vowel-sound probe.
- Condition
- Shown the 5 vowel letters in random order, 4 times each
- Behavior
- Say the short vowel sound
- Criterion
- With 19 of 20 correct on 3 consecutive weekly probes
- Measure
- A vowel-sound probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given a one-minute sheet of mixed lowercase letters, the student will say letter sounds at 40 correct sounds per minute on 3 consecutive weekly probes, measured by a timed letter-sound probe.
- Condition
- Given a one-minute sheet of mixed lowercase letters
- Behavior
- Say letter sounds
- Criterion
- At 40 correct sounds per minute on 3 consecutive weekly probes
- Measure
- A timed letter-sound probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, shown the digraphs sh, ch, th, wh and ck in random order, 3 times each, the student will say the sound for each with 14 of 15 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a digraph sound probe.
- Condition
- Shown the digraphs sh, ch, th, wh and ck in random order, 3 times each
- Behavior
- Say the sound for each
- Criterion
- With 14 of 15 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A digraph sound probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, when the teacher says a sound, the student will write the letter or letters that spell it with 23 of 26 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a written sound-to-letter probe.
- Condition
- When the teacher says a sound
- Behavior
- Write the letter or letters that spell it
- Criterion
- With 23 of 26 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A written sound-to-letter probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, shown b, d, p and q mixed 5 times each, the student will say the correct sound with 19 of 20 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a reversal probe given weekly.
- Condition
- Shown b, d, p and q mixed 5 times each
- Behavior
- Say the correct sound
- Criterion
- With 19 of 20 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A reversal probe given weekly
- Time frame
- By the annual review
From baseline to target: a worked example
A first grader in October says 14 of 26 letter sounds correctly. He knows most continuous consonants (m, s, f) and confuses e with i and b with d.
The team writes an accuracy goal of 24 of 26 by the annual review, and a short-term objective for the short vowels first. When accuracy reaches 24 of 26 in February, two months early, the team adds a timed goal of 40 sounds per minute instead of waiting for the review.
Short-term objectives
- By the end of the first grading period, the student will say the sound for 18 of 26 letters.
- By the end of the second grading period, the student will say the short vowel sound for a, i and o with 9 of 10 correct.
- By the end of the third grading period, the student will say the sound for all 5 short vowels with 19 of 20 correct.
How do you measure progress?
- Show letters in a different random order each time. Fixed order lets a student recite instead of read.
- Count only the sound, not the name. If the student says the name, prompt once: "What sound does it make?"
- For timed probes, use a sheet longer than anyone could finish and stop at one minute.
Common mistakes
- Measuring letter names when the student needs letter sounds.
- Accepting "buh" for /b/ with a big added vowel; teach a clipped sound from the start.
- Using a 100% criterion. One slip on a probe day shouldn't mean the goal is missed.