IEP reading goals
Phonemic awareness IEP goals
7 example goals for phonemic awareness, each with a condition, behavior, criterion, measure and time frame.
Short answer
A phonemic awareness IEP goal names a spoken task (blending, segmenting, deleting or substituting sounds), the word type, a criterion such as 9 of 10 words, and how it is measured. Example: given 10 spoken CVC words, the student will segment each into its sounds with 9 of 10 correct.
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 phonemic awareness goal make sense?
Phonemic awareness is hearing and working with the single sounds in spoken words, with no print involved. A student who can't pull /m/ /a/ /p/ out of "map" will struggle to spell it, and often to blend it when reading. That makes it one of the first things to check when a kindergartner or first grader isn't making progress in phonics.
Write a phonemic awareness goal when testing shows the gap is at the sound level: the student knows some letter sounds but can't blend three spoken sounds, or can't tell you the last sound in "bus". For students in second grade and up, a phonemic awareness goal is usually paired with a decoding goal, because the two improve fastest when taught together.
Keep the tasks oral. If the student sees letters, you're measuring phonics, which is a different goal.
Example phonemic awareness goals
By the annual review, given 10 spoken one-syllable words, the student will say the first sound of each word with 9 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a teacher-made oral probe given every two weeks.
- Condition
- Given 10 spoken one-syllable words
- Behavior
- Say the first sound of each word
- Criterion
- With 9 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A teacher-made oral probe given every two weeks
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, when the teacher says 3 or 4 separate sounds, the student will blend them into a spoken word for 9 of 10 items on 3 consecutive weekly probes, measured by an oral blending probe.
- Condition
- When the teacher says 3 or 4 separate sounds
- Behavior
- Blend them into a spoken word
- Criterion
- For 9 of 10 items on 3 consecutive weekly probes
- Measure
- An oral blending probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 spoken CVC words, the student will segment each word into its separate sounds with 9 of 10 words fully correct on 3 consecutive weekly probes, measured by an oral segmenting probe scored by the teacher.
- Condition
- Given 10 spoken CVC words
- Behavior
- Segment each word into its separate sounds
- Criterion
- With 9 of 10 words fully correct on 3 consecutive weekly probes
- Measure
- An oral segmenting probe scored by the teacher
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 spoken words with a beginning blend, such as "slip", the student will segment all sounds, including both consonants of the blend with 8 of 10 words fully correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by an oral segmenting probe.
- Condition
- Given 10 spoken words with a beginning blend, such as "slip"
- Behavior
- Segment all sounds, including both consonants of the blend
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 words fully correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- An oral segmenting probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 spoken one-syllable words and a sound to remove, the student will say the word that is left ("say 'stop' without /t/") with 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by an oral deletion probe.
- Condition
- Given 10 spoken one-syllable words and a sound to remove
- Behavior
- Say the word that is left ("say 'stop' without /t/")
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- An oral deletion probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 spoken words and a sound to change, the student will say the new word ("change /p/ in 'map' to /t/") with 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by an oral substitution probe.
- Condition
- Given 10 spoken words and a sound to change
- Behavior
- Say the new word ("change /p/ in 'map' to /t/")
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- An oral substitution probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 spoken words of 4 to 5 sounds, the student will segment each word and count its sounds with 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by an oral segmenting probe with sound counting.
- Condition
- Given 10 spoken words of 4 to 5 sounds
- Behavior
- Segment each word and count its sounds
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- An oral segmenting probe with sound counting
- Time frame
- By the annual review
From baseline to target: a worked example
In September, a kindergartner blends 3 of 10 three-sound words when the teacher says the sounds with a pause between them. She can say the first sound of most words. Segmenting is 0 of 10.
The team sets a blending goal of 9 of 10 and a segmenting goal of 8 of 10 by the annual review, with practice five days a week for about five minutes. Probes every two weeks show blending at 6 of 10 by December, so the plan is on track; segmenting is still at 2 of 10, so the teacher adds sound boxes with chips.
Short-term objectives
- By the end of the first grading period, the student will blend 2-sound words ("/u/ /p/") with 9 of 10 correct.
- By the end of the second grading period, the student will blend 3-sound words with 7 of 10 correct.
- By the end of the third grading period, the student will segment 3-sound words into separate sounds with 6 of 10 correct.
How do you measure progress?
- Use 10 spoken words per probe, new words each time, at the same difficulty. Say each word once more if asked.
- Score a segmenting item correct only when every sound is said separately and in order. Write down what the student said so you can see patterns.
- Probe every one to two weeks and graph the score. Six to eight points give a clear trend.
Common mistakes
- Measuring rhyming for a first grader. Rhyme is an early skill and says little about readiness to decode.
- Showing letters during the task. That turns it into a phonics measure.
- Writing "will improve phonemic awareness" with no task, word type or criterion.
- Keeping a phonemic awareness goal for a third grader who already segments well; the real need is usually decoding.