Expand sentences with adjectives and adverbs
When to use this goal
For students who write bare sentences (The dog ran.) and have not learned to add describing words to nouns and verbs. It follows the when-where-why-how expansion for some students and precedes it for others; present levels decide the order.
- Baseline
- Give two probes of 10 unpracticed sentences. A sentence is correct when it has at least one adjective and one adverb that fit, placed where they belong, and remains a single complete sentence. Note whether the student adds the same word (very, big) to every item.
- Tips
- Pictures make adjectives easy to find; use them early and fade them. Teach a small set of adverbs of manner and time rather than the full category. Follow with a check in the student's own writing, since the point is description in real work.
- Limits
- Mechanical insertion (The big dog ran quickly.) meets the rule without making writing better; pair with a word-choice or descriptive-writing goal when quality is the aim. Grammar labels may be unfamiliar; the task can be taught with what kind and how questions instead.
Original IEP Atlas template based on general measurement principles; not copied from any goal bank. ID wr-sen-012.
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Goal
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short sentences with a noun and a verb but no describing words, the student will rewrite each sentence adding at least one adjective and one adverb that fit the meaning independently with at least 80% accuracy on sentences, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Baseline: 30% 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 Sentence Construction.
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 - Sentence Construction
- Baseline
- 30% accuracy.
- Annual goal354 characters
- By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short sentences with a noun and a verb but no describing words, the student will rewrite each sentence adding at least one adjective and one adverb that fit the meaning independently with at least 80% accuracy on sentences, 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 short sentences with a noun and a verb but no describing words
- Behavior
- The student will rewrite each sentence adding at least one adjective and one adverb that fit the meaning independently
- Criteria
- With at least 80% accuracy on sentences, 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 80% accuracy on sentences
- 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 short sentences with a noun and a verb but no describing words, the student will rewrite each sentence adding at least one adjective and one adverb that fit the meaning independently with at least 80% accuracy on sentences, 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.