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Say letter sounds on a timed probe

Unreviewed draftK-2Rate (per minute)
Student reference

Use a generic label rather than a student's name. Review goals within your school's approved IEP system.

Current baseline

Sample numbers are illustrative. Set the baseline and target from the student's own assessment data and team judgment.

Condition

Setting, materials, or situation, such as a passage level or a work period.

Observable behavior

Something an adult can see, count, or time. Avoid “understand,” “improve,” or “know.”

Level of support

Say exactly what support counts, such as “with one verbal prompt.” Leave “independently” if none.

Criterion

Count of correct responses per minute on a timed task.

Measurement method

A fixed-length timing (for example, 1 or 2 minutes) used to calculate a per-minute rate.

Mastery rule
Timeframe and monitoring

You can type a date, such as “By May 15, 2027”.

Match the schedule to the skill. Fluency often uses weekly probes. Writing rubrics may be scored every few weeks.

Live goal preview

By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute probe of randomly ordered lowercase letters, the student will say the most common sound for each letter or letter combination in order independently at a rate of at least 40 correct letter sounds per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.

Baseline: 18 correct letter sounds per minute.

  • Condition
  • Observable behavior
  • Criterion
  • Measurement method
Add objectivesMatching data sheet

Measurability check10 of 10 met

All structural checks are met.

  • Met: Observable behavior. The behavior is stated as an action.

  • Met: Condition. The goal states when or under what conditions the behavior occurs.

  • Met: Unit fits the behavior. Rate (per minute) is a reasonable way to quantify this behavior.

  • Met: Explicit criterion. The success criterion is stated with a number and unit.

  • Met: Mastery rule and schedule. Mastery rule and collection schedule are stated.

  • Met: Method produces the metric. Timed probes can produce rate (per minute) data.

  • Met: Review timeframe. The goal includes a timeframe.

  • Met: Baseline and target compatible. Baseline and target use the same unit and show change in the intended direction.

  • Met: Aligned with area of need. The wording still relates to Phonics & Decoding.

  • Met: Level of support. The level of support is defined.

What this checks: the goal's structure and wording, using fixed rules: observable behavior, condition, criterion, method, mastery rule, timeframe, baseline/target consistency, and support. It can't judge whether the goal is appropriate, ambitious enough, or legally sufficient for a particular student. That requires assessment data and the IEP team.

About this template
Level guidance
Fits students whose present levels show slow or inaccurate letter-sound recall, which limits everything that follows in decoding. Use letter-sound probe data, not grade, to decide fit; older students with gaps can need this goal too.
Baseline considerations
Give three 1-minute probes with different letter orders and use the median. Note which letters are missing or confused (b/d, short vowels) so instruction targets them, and whether the student gives letter names instead of sounds.
Usage notes
Use for students who know some sounds but cannot retrieve them quickly enough to blend. Pair with an accuracy check on any unknown letters. Set the target from the student's baseline and observed growth rather than a fixed number.
Known limitations
A rate goal can hide a small set of letters the student never gets right; review item-level errors as well. Rate depends on probe format (font, number per line), so keep it constant. Fast letter sounds do not guarantee blending.
Source
Original IEP Atlas draft (AI-assisted) based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. Template ID rd-dec-001.

Short-term objectives (optional)

When are objectives required?

Federal IDEA regulations require benchmarks or short-term objectives only for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards (34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(ii)). Your state or district may require them more broadly.

Build objectives by

Matching data sheet

Frequency & rate tracker. Your goal is a per-minute rate, so the sheet records timing length and number correct.

Frequency & rate tracker

Rate (per minute)
Student label:
 
Target:
at a rate of at least 40 correct letter sounds per minute
Mastery rule:
in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes
Collection schedule:
weekly
Method:
Timed probes
Data collector:
 

Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute probe of randomly ordered lowercase letters, the student will say the most common sound for each letter or letter combination in order independently at a rate of at least 40 correct letter sounds per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.

Frequency & rate tracker
DateProbe / formTiming (min)# correct# errorsCorrect per minute# correct ÷ minutesSupport levele.g., independent, 1 verbal promptNotes

Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.

  • Use the same timing length and probe type every session.
  • Rate = number correct ÷ minutes timed.
  • Target unit: correct letter sounds per minute.

The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets with formulas for the calculated columns. Sheets are blank: IEP Atlas doesn't store student data.

Preview
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