Tear paper strips for a collage
When to use this goal
For preschool students who pull paper apart with whole-hand grabs, crumple it, or cannot start a tear, which keeps them out of collage and craft activities. Tearing builds the two-hand, opposite-direction movement used later for cutting and opening packages. Present levels from a short tearing trial, not age, decide the starting paper.
- Baseline
- Offer five strips of the same paper and score each tear: fingertip tear with opposite hand movement, whole-hand pull, or no tear. Note which paper is easiest; construction paper tears more predictably than copy paper.
- Tips
- Collage, paper mosaics, and nature crafts give daily practice. Short strips are easier than wide sheets. Coach the thumbs-on-top position. This sets up snipping and line cutting (mt-fm-003 and mt-fm-004).
- Limits
- Measures the tearing pattern, not the size or shape of the pieces. Students with weak pinch may need hand strength work first.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID mt-fm-026.
Sign in to add this goal to a student.
Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given a strip of construction paper 2 inches wide during an art activity, the student will tear off a piece using the fingertips of both hands moving in opposite directions independently in at least 4 of 5 trials, across 3 consecutive weekly sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly during art or OT sessions.
Baseline: 1 of 5 opportunities.
- Condition
- Observable behavior
- Criterion
- Measurement method
Measurability check11 of 11 met
Met: Observable behavior. Stated as an action.
Met: Condition. Stated.
Met: Unit fits the behavior. Opportunities fits this behavior.
Met: Explicit criterion. Number and unit stated.
Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Both stated.
Met: Method produces the metric. Opportunity (trial) recording gives opportunities data.
Met: Review timeframe. Stated.
Met: Baseline and target compatible. Same unit, change in the right direction.
Met: Aligned with area of need. Still about Fine Motor Skills.
Met: Level of support. Defined.
Met: Blanks filled in. Nothing left to fill in.
Checks structure and wording only. Whether the goal fits the student is the team's call.
Short-term objectives (optional)
When are objectives required?Required for students on alternate assessments (34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)); some states require them for everyone.
Paste into your IEP system
Most district systems have a separate box for each part of a goal. Copy them one at a time, or all at once as labeled text.
- Area of need
- Motor & Sensory Skills (OT, PT & Adapted PE) - Fine Motor Skills
- Baseline
- 1 of 5 opportunities.
- Annual goal373 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given a strip of construction paper 2 inches wide during an art activity, the student will tear off a piece using the fingertips of both hands moving in opposite directions independently in at least 4 of 5 trials, across 3 consecutive weekly sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly during art or OT sessions.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Given a strip of construction paper 2 inches wide during an art activity
- Behavior
- The student will tear off a piece using the fingertips of both hands moving in opposite directions independently
- Criteria
- In at least 4 of 5 trials, across 3 consecutive weekly sessions
- Evaluation method
- Opportunity-by-opportunity data
- Schedule
- Weekly during art or OT sessions
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Opportunity tracker. One box per opportunity in each session.
Opportunity tracker
Opportunities- Student label:
- Target:
- in at least 4 of 5 trials
- Mastery rule:
- across 3 consecutive weekly sessions
- Collection schedule:
- weekly during art or OT sessions
- Method:
- Opportunity (trial) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given a strip of construction paper 2 inches wide during an art activity, the student will tear off a piece using the fingertips of both hands moving in opposite directions independently in at least 4 of 5 trials, across 3 consecutive weekly sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly during art or OT sessions.
Key: + demonstrated independently · P demonstrated with a prompt (note type) · − not demonstrated · NA no opportunity occurred
| Date | Activity / context | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | # + (of 5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Record up to 5 opportunities per session, matching the goal's denominator.
- Define in advance what counts as an opportunity so every data collector records the same thing.
- Count only + marks toward the criterion unless the goal specifies prompted responses.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.