IEP Goals for Reading: Measurable Examples by Skill Level

Writing Reading IEP Goals That Drive Progress

Reading IEP goals must be specific, measurable, and connected to the student's present levels of performance. A goal that says "improve reading" is useless. A goal that says "Given a grade-level passage, [Student] will identify the main idea and two supporting details with 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions as measured by teacher-created assessments" drives instruction and tracks progress.

Phonemic Awareness Goals

• Given a set of 20 CVC words presented orally, [Student] will segment each word into individual phonemes with 90% accuracy as measured by teacher assessment.
• [Student] will blend 3-4 phonemes presented orally into a complete word with 85% accuracy across three consecutive data points.
• [Student] will identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in CVC words with 80% accuracy as measured by curriculum-based measures.

Phonics and Decoding Goals

• Given a list of 30 words with common vowel patterns (CVCe, vowel teams), [Student] will correctly decode 25 or more words as measured by teacher-administered assessments.
• [Student] will apply syllable division rules to decode multisyllabic words with 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions.
• When encountering an unfamiliar word in connected text, [Student] will use decoding strategies (chunking, blending, context clues) to read the word correctly in 4 out of 5 attempts.

Fluency Goals

• [Student] will read grade-level text at [X] words per minute with 95% accuracy as measured by curriculum-based measurement probes.
• [Student] will read aloud with appropriate phrasing and expression, scoring a 3 or above on the NAEP Oral Reading Fluency Scale across three consecutive assessments.

Comprehension Goals

• Given a grade-level fiction passage, [Student] will retell the story including characters, setting, problem, and solution with 80% accuracy.
• [Student] will make and support inferences using text evidence, correctly answering inferential questions with 75% accuracy across five consecutive assessments.
• Given a nonfiction text, [Student] will identify the main idea and three supporting details with 80% accuracy.

Tips for Writing Reading IEP Goals

Always connect goals to present levels with specific data. Use the IEP goal generator to draft goals, then customize based on your knowledge of the student. Include the condition (given what), the skill (student will), the criteria (with what accuracy), and the measurement method.