IEP reading goals
Spelling and encoding IEP goals
7 example goals for spelling and encoding, each with a condition, behavior, criterion, measure and time frame.
Short answer
A spelling goal names the patterns (for example, CVC words, digraphs or silent e), the task (spell dictated words or sentences), the criterion (8 of 10 words, or a number of correct letter sequences) and the measure. Use unpracticed words built from taught patterns.
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 spelling and encoding goal make sense?
Encoding is reading in reverse: hearing a word, splitting it into sounds, and writing a letter or letter group for each one. It's one of the clearest windows into what a student knows about phonics, because nothing on the page gives the answer away.
A spelling goal fits most students with decoding goals; the two strengthen each other. Measure with dictation of unpracticed words that follow taught patterns. Weekly spelling tests of practiced words show memory for that list, not the skill.
Correct letter sequences, a way of scoring each pair of adjacent letters, give partial credit. That shows progress before a student spells whole words right, which is useful for a student who writes "stap" for stamp: wrong word, but most of it right.
Example spelling and encoding goals
By the annual review, given 10 dictated CVC words, the student will write a letter for each sound in order with 8 of 10 words spelled correctly on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a dictation probe of unpracticed words.
- Condition
- Given 10 dictated CVC words
- Behavior
- Write a letter for each sound in order
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 words spelled correctly on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A dictation probe of unpracticed words
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 dictated words with digraphs and blends, the student will spell each word with 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a dictation probe.
- Condition
- Given 10 dictated words with digraphs and blends
- Behavior
- Spell each word
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A dictation probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 3 dictated sentences with taught patterns, the student will write each sentence with a capital and end mark with at least 90% of words spelled correctly on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a sentence dictation probe.
- Condition
- Given 3 dictated sentences with taught patterns
- Behavior
- Write each sentence with a capital and end mark
- Criterion
- With at least 90% of words spelled correctly on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A sentence dictation probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 dictated words with silent e or taught vowel teams, the student will spell each word with the correct vowel spelling with 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a dictation probe.
- Condition
- Given 10 dictated words with silent e or taught vowel teams
- Behavior
- Spell each word with the correct vowel spelling
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A dictation probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given 10 dictated words that need a taught rule (floss, ck, doubling), the student will spell each word using the rule with 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes, measured by a rule-based dictation probe.
- Condition
- Given 10 dictated words that need a taught rule (floss, ck, doubling)
- Behavior
- Spell each word using the rule
- Criterion
- With 8 of 10 correct on 3 consecutive probes
- Measure
- A rule-based dictation probe
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, given a two-minute dictation of grade-level words, the student will spell the words with at least 40 correct letter sequences on 3 consecutive weekly probes, measured by a timed spelling probe scored by correct letter sequences.
- Condition
- Given a two-minute dictation of grade-level words
- Behavior
- Spell the words
- Criterion
- With at least 40 correct letter sequences on 3 consecutive weekly probes
- Measure
- A timed spelling probe scored by correct letter sequences
- Time frame
- By the annual review
By the annual review, in a first draft of at least 100 words, the student will spell taught high-frequency words correctly for at least 90% of those words on 3 of 4 monthly samples, measured by a writing sample check.
- Condition
- In a first draft of at least 100 words
- Behavior
- Spell taught high-frequency words correctly
- Criterion
- For at least 90% of those words on 3 of 4 monthly samples
- Measure
- A writing sample check
- Time frame
- By the annual review
From baseline to target: a worked example
A first grader spells 3 of 10 dictated CVC words in October. He writes the first and last sounds ("mp" for mop, "st" for sit) and leaves out the vowel.
The team writes 8 of 10 CVC words by the annual review. The teacher uses sound boxes: the student says the word, pushes a chip for each sound, then writes a letter in each box. By January he spells 7 of 10, and the missing vowels are mostly e and i, which become the focus.
Short-term objectives
- By the end of the first grading period, the student will write the first, middle and last sound of dictated CVC words in 6 of 10 words.
- By the end of the second grading period, the student will spell dictated CVC words with short a, i and o with 7 of 10 correct.
- By the end of the third grading period, the student will spell dictated CVC words with all short vowels with 8 of 10 correct.
How do you measure progress?
- Dictate each word, use it in a short sentence, then say the word again. Do not stretch the sounds for the student.
- Use new words each probe from the same patterns. Never test with the week's practice list.
- Keep the written probes. Errors grouped by pattern show what to teach next.
Common mistakes
- Measuring with practiced weekly spelling lists.
- Scoring only whole words for a student far below the criterion; add correct letter sequences or sounds represented.
- Writing a spelling goal on patterns the student has not been taught to read yet.