Articulation baseline: 24 baseline statements with the goals they support

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

An articulation baseline is the student's current accuracy on the target sound at the goal's level, measured on untrained items before teaching. Give 3 probes, report the median with the date and conditions, and build the goal in the same unit. Example: median 5 of 20 untrained initial /r/ words across 3 probes in September.

An articulation goal is only as good as its starting number. "Liam has difficulty with /r/" tells the team nothing they can measure against in May. "On 3 probes of 20 untrained words with initial /r/, Liam said /r/ correctly in 4, 6 and 5 words, median 5 of 20" does. This page gives 24 baseline statements at every level of the articulation ladder, each paired with the goal it supports. The numbers are illustrations.

The general method for any baseline (define the skill, match the measure, take 3 or more probes, report the median) is in how to collect baseline data. The full set of articulation goals is on the articulation goals examples pillar. This page is about the articulation-specific choices.

What an articulation baseline must include

The sound and position. Initial /r/, vocalic /r/, final /s/, "s" clusters.
The level. Isolation, syllables, words, phrases, sentences, reading, conversation.
The items. Untrained words, not the cards you will practice with. Note how many.
The support. Independent, after a model, or with a placement cue.
The numbers. Each probe's score, the median, and the dates.
The error type, if it helps. "/w/ for /r/ in 13 of 20" tells the team more than "7 of 20 correct."

The IEP must state how progress on each goal will be measured.^[1] A baseline taken the way the goal will be measured is what makes later reports comparable. ASHA's speech sound page treats stimulability and error analysis as part of the assessment that leads to goals.^[2]

Which baseline probe to give

Student profile	Baseline probe	Unit
No correct productions on the test	Stimulability: isolation and syllables with a model and cues	Trials correct out of 20, by cue type
Correct after a model, not on own	Untrained words, independent and imitated	Words correct out of 20
Correct in single words most of the time	Phrases or sentences with the target	Items correct out of 20
Correct in sentences	Reading a passage or retelling a story	Target words correct out of 10 per passage
Correct in structured tasks	Recorded conversation	Percent of target words correct
Correct in conversation with the SLP, not in class	Class observation or teacher rating	Target words out of 10, or rating

Stimulability and syllable baselines

Lateral /s/, grade 2. Baseline: in isolation and syllables, Mia produced a central /s/ in 0 of 20 trials after a model and 6 of 20 with a straw cue (Sept 5, 8, 12; median 6). Goal: with a placement cue, 16 of 20 trials across 3 sessions. Template.
/r/, grade 3. Baseline: from a "grrr" starting context, Liam produced /r/ in syllables in 2, 4 and 3 of 20 trials (median 3). Goal: 16 of 20 trials from a facilitating context across 3 sessions. Template.
/k/, age 4. Baseline: Noah produced /k/ in 0 of 20 syllables after a model and 5 of 20 with the tongue tip held down (median of 3 probes). Goal: 16 of 20 syllables with a tongue-tip-down cue. Template.
Voiceless th, grade 2. Baseline: Ava said th in isolation in 8 of 10 trials after a model, so isolation was skipped. In syllables: 9, 11 and 10 of 20 (median 10). Goal: 18 of 20 syllables independently. Template.

Weak baseline: "Mia is not stimulable for /s/." Better: The first example above. It gives the score for each cue type, which tells the next SLP where to start.

Single word baselines

Initial /r/, grade 3. Baseline: on 3 probes of 20 untrained initial /r/ words, Liam scored 4, 6 and 5 (median 5 of 20); 13 errors were /w/ for /r/. Goal: 16 of 20 across 2 consecutive probes. Template.
Vocalic /r/, grade 4. Baseline: on 20 untrained words across "ar," "or," "er," "air" and "ear," Jada scored 3, 2 and 4 (median 3); "ar" was strongest. Goal: 15 of 20. Template.
/l/, grade 1. Baseline: Ben said initial /l/ in 9, 8 and 9 of 20 untrained words but final /l/ in 2, 3 and 3 of 20. Goal: final /l/ in 16 of 20 words. Template.
/s/ and /z/, grade 2. Baseline: median 6 of 20 untrained words in all positions; errors were frontal in 11 and lateral in 3. Goal: 18 of 20 words without a lisp. Template.

Weak baseline: "Liam produces /r/ with 25% accuracy." Better: The first example above. It gives the position, the items, each probe and the error type.

Phrase and sentence baselines

/k/ and /g/ in phrases, kindergarten. Baseline: using "I got a ___," Noah said the back sound in 6, 9 and 8 of 20 phrases (median 8). Goal: 17 of 20 phrases. Template.
/s/ in sentences, grade 3. Baseline: in 20 sentences with 1 or 2 /s/ words, Mia kept /s/ behind her teeth in 7, 5 and 6 sentences (median 6). Goal: 16 of 20 sentences. Template.
Vocalic /r/ in sentences, grade 5. Baseline: median 5 of 20 sentences, with errors mostly on "er." Goal: 16 of 20 sentences across 3 sessions. Template.
th in picture sentences, grade 2. Baseline: describing 10 pictures, Ava said every th word correctly in 3, 4 and 4 sentences (median 4 of 10). Goal: 9 of 10. Template.

Weak baseline: "Noah is inconsistent at the phrase level." Better: The first example above. "Inconsistent" becomes three scores and a median.

Reading and retell baselines

/l/ in reading, grade 2. Baseline: on 3 short passages with 10 marked /l/ words, Ben scored 3, 4 and 3 of 10 (median 3). Goal: 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive passages. Template.
/r/ in class read-aloud, grade 4. Baseline: during 3 push-in visits, Liam said /r/ correctly in 4, 3 and 5 of 10 marked words. Goal: 8 of 10 on 3 of 4 observations. Template.
/f/ and /v/ in retell, grade 1. Baseline: retelling 3 short stories with 10 target words each, Kai scored 4, 5 and 4 of 10 (median 4). Goal: 9 of 10 on 2 consecutive retells. Template.
Clusters in reading, grade 3. Baseline: on passages with 10 marked cluster words, Ivy scored 4, 5 and 3 (median 4). Goal: 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive passages. Template.

Weak baseline: "Ben reads with good articulation most of the time." Better: The first example above, with marked words and a count per passage.

Conversation baselines

Vocalic /r/, grade 5. Baseline: in three 3-minute recorded conversations about class topics, Jada said /r/ correctly in 32%, 41% and 35% of /r/ words (median 35%). Goal: 80% on 2 of 3 monthly samples. Template.
th, grade 3. Baseline: 2 conversation samples had 24 and 30 th words; 7 and 9 were correct (29% and 30%). Goal: 75% of th words. Template.
/k/ and /g/ in play, age 5. Baseline: in a 5-minute play conversation with a classmate, Noah said back sounds correctly in 9 of 41 target words (22%). Goal: 80% on 2 of 3 monthly samples. Template.
Intelligibility, age 5. Baseline: an unfamiliar adult understood 61 of 118 words in a recorded picture description (52%). Goal: 75% of words. Template.

Weak baseline: "Jada uses /r/ correctly in conversation about 40% of the time." Better: The first example above. It gives the sample length, the topic and each score.

Self-monitoring and carryover baselines

Self-correction of /s/, grade 4. Baseline: in structured conversation, Mia noticed and fixed 0 of 5, 1 of 5 and 0 of 5 errors. Goal: 4 of 5 errors across 3 sessions. Template.
Judging own recordings, grade 3. Baseline: Ava rated 10 of her recorded th words as right or wrong and agreed with the SLP on 5, 6 and 5 (median 5). Goal: 9 of 10. Template.
Teacher rating, grade 2. Baseline: on a 3-point class rating, Ben earned a 2 or 3 on 1 of 5 weekly ratings. Goal: 4 of 5 weekly ratings. Template.
Maintenance, grade 5. Baseline: after meeting a conversation goal in March, Liam scored 85% and 82% on April and May checks. Goal: 80% or higher on 3 of 3 monthly checks the next year. Template.

Weak baseline: "Mia is beginning to self-monitor." Better: The first example above, with three counts out of 5.

Mistakes that weaken an articulation baseline

Using the test score. A standardized test gives one try per word, often on words you will later practice. Take a separate probe on untrained words.
Probing with the practice cards. The baseline will look fine and the goal will be met by memory, not by a new sound.
Mixing positions. Report initial and final separately when they differ, as in the /l/ word example above.
One probe only. A tired Monday sets a low goal. Take 3 probes on different days.
Leaving out the error type. A student moving from /w/ for /r/ to a distorted /r/ is making progress, and the codes show it.

Record every probe on the opportunity trial data sheet you will use all year, so the baseline is the first point on the graph. The opportunities measurement guide explains how to score cued trials. For moving the sound into class once the baseline improves, see articulation carryover strategies, and for choosing between accuracy and opportunity scoring, see articulation data collection.

Adapting by age

Age or grade	Baseline change	Example
Age 3 to 4	10 to 15 words in play; note cues	Back sounds in a fishing game
Age 5 to grade 2	20 untrained words per probe	Initial /l/ and /s/ words
Grades 3 to 5	Add reading and conversation probes	Marked passages, 3-minute samples
Middle and high school	Conversation, class and self-rating	Recorded class talk, self-rating log

Templates for every level are on the articulation goals page. Paste the finished goal into the goal checker to confirm the baseline and the target use the same unit.

Frequently asked questions

How many probes do I need for an articulation baseline?

Three probes on different days is the usual minimum. Report each score and the median. If the scores vary widely, take two more before the meeting.

Can I use the standardized test as the baseline?

Use it to choose targets, not as the goal baseline. A test gives one try per word in a fixed set. A baseline should use untrained words at the level the goal will measure, scored the same way all year.

What if the baseline is zero?

A zero is real data. It usually means the goal level is too high. Probe one level down, such as syllables instead of words, or test with a placement cue. Write the goal at the level where the student is not yet accurate but has some success.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology, ASHA

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.