Sort pictures by their beginning sound
When to use this goal
For students who can hear rhymes and syllables but do not yet attend to the first sound of a word. Base the choice on an informal sort; this is usually the first phoneme-level skill a preschooler or kindergartner meets, and it is a strong predictor of early decoding.
- Baseline
- Start with header sounds that are easy to feel and stretch (m, s, f) and that are far apart from each other. Use 10 cards whose names the student says correctly, and avoid names starting with blends. Chance in a two-header sort is 50 percent, so set the target well above it. Record whether errors cluster on one sound.
- Tips
- Sorting is a hands-on task that works in centers and small groups. Add a third header once two are steady. Move to the first-sound isolation goal (saying the sound on request) when sorting is consistent, and then to connecting the sound to its letter.
- Limits
- Sorting can be done by elimination once a few cards are placed; shuffle and vary the number per column. Articulation differences can make it hard for a student to say which sound they hear; a pointing response avoids this. Does not measure segmenting or blending.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID rd-pa-011.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture cards and two header pictures whose names begin with different sounds, the student will place each picture under the header that begins with the same sound independently with at least 90% accuracy on beginning sound items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Baseline: 50% accuracy.
- 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. Percent accuracy 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 percent accuracy 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 Phonological Awareness.
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
- Reading - Phonological Awareness
- Baseline
- 50% accuracy.
- Annual goal372 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture cards and two header pictures whose names begin with different sounds, the student will place each picture under the header that begins with the same sound independently with at least 90% accuracy on beginning sound items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Given 10 picture cards and two header pictures whose names begin with different sounds
- Behavior
- The student will place each picture under the header that begins with the same sound independently
- Criteria
- With at least 90% accuracy on beginning sound items, across 3 consecutive sessions
- Evaluation method
- Opportunity-by-opportunity data
- Schedule
- Twice weekly
Copied as plain text, with straight quotes and plain dashes.
Matching data sheet
Accuracy tracker. Records number correct and number attempted.
Accuracy tracker
Percent accuracy- Student label:
- Target:
- with at least 90% accuracy on beginning sound items
- Mastery rule:
- across 3 consecutive sessions
- Collection schedule:
- twice weekly
- Method:
- Opportunity (trial) recording
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given 10 picture cards and two header pictures whose names begin with different sounds, the student will place each picture under the header that begins with the same sound independently with at least 90% accuracy on beginning sound items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
| Date | Task / materials | # correct | # attempted | % accuracycorrect ÷ attempted × 100 | Support levele.g., independent, 1 verbal prompt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview shows 4 of 12 rows.
- Score only items the student attempted unless the goal defines a fixed set of items. Use the same denominator every session.
- Percent = numerator ÷ denominator × 100. Round to one decimal place.
- Record the support actually provided, even if the goal is independent performance.
The CSV opens in Excel or Google Sheets, with formulas. Sheets print blank; no student data is stored.