Use comparative and superlative forms and avoid double negatives
When to use this goal
For students who write more bigger, the most fastest, or I don't have no, forms that may also appear in speech. Base the choice on present levels in oral language; if the forms are in speech, the SLP should be involved and the written goal should match.
- Baseline
- Give two probes of 10 items mixing short adjectives (-er, -est), long adjectives (more, most), a few irregular forms (better, best), and negatives. Record which type each error involves. Check three writing samples for the same forms to see whether the errors occur in composing.
- Tips
- Teach the syllable rule (short adjectives take -er and -est, long ones take more and most) and the one-negative rule with sentence pairs. For students whose home dialect uses these forms, teach the school-writing form as a code without treating speech as wrong.
- Limits
- Dialect differences make scoring sensitive; agree on the standard being taught. Irregular forms need memory work. Fill-in items are easier than own writing, where these forms appear only occasionally.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID wr-mec-019.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 sentences with a blank and an adjective to put in comparative or superlative form, the student will write the correct comparative or superlative form and use only one negative word per idea independently with at least 90% accuracy on target forms, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Baseline: 40% 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. Work-sample analysis 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 Capitalization, Punctuation & Grammar.
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
- Writing - Capitalization, Punctuation & Grammar
- Baseline
- 40% accuracy.
- Annual goal378 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given 10 sentences with a blank and an adjective to put in comparative or superlative form, the student will write the correct comparative or superlative form and use only one negative word per idea independently with at least 90% accuracy on target forms, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
- Timeframe
- By the annual IEP review date
- Condition
- Given 10 sentences with a blank and an adjective to put in comparative or superlative form
- Behavior
- The student will write the correct comparative or superlative form and use only one negative word per idea independently
- Criteria
- With at least 90% accuracy on target forms, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes
- Evaluation method
- Work-sample analysis
- Schedule
- 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 target forms
- Mastery rule:
- in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes
- Collection schedule:
- weekly
- Method:
- Work-sample analysis
- Data collector:
Goal: By the annual IEP review date, given 10 sentences with a blank and an adjective to put in comparative or superlative form, the student will write the correct comparative or superlative form and use only one negative word per idea independently with at least 90% accuracy on target forms, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected 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.