Fronting IEP goals: 20 examples for /k/ and /g/

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A fronting IEP goal names the back sounds /k/ and /g/, the word position, the level and a criterion with a denominator. Example: given 20 untrained picture words with /k/ or /g/ at the start, Eli will say the back sound, not /t/ or /d/, in 17 of 20 words across 2 consecutive probes.

Velar fronting is the pattern where a child moves /k/ and /g/ forward to /t/ and /d/: "tup" for cup, "doe" for go. The 20 goals below run from hearing the difference to using back sounds in class talk. Each one has a condition, a baseline, a criterion and a link to the full template. The numbers are illustrations; set yours from the child's probe.

For every other sound, use the articulation goals examples pillar. That page has three /k/ and /g/ goals; the ones here go further into perception, word position and the pattern approach.

When fronting is a concern

Large reviews of US studies place /k/ and /g/ among the consonants most children produce by about 3 years, 11 months, using a 90% criterion.^[1] ASHA's speech sound disorders page draws on the same review.^[2] Fronting in a young 3-year-old is often still part of typical development. Fronting that is still strong after the fourth birthday is worth a goal, and so is fronting at any age that makes the child hard to understand.

Two questions decide the goal type:

Is it one sound or a pattern? If /k/ and /g/ both go forward, and "ng" may too, treat it as a phonological process and work on the contrast. If only /k/ is off and it is distorted rather than replaced, treat it as a placement problem.
Is the child stimulable? Ask for "k" after a model with the tongue tip held down by a tongue depressor or a cue. A child who can produce it in a few syllables can start at the word level.

Watch for the reverse pattern. Backing (/t/ to /k/, "kop" for top) is less common and calls for its own goal; the backing template covers it.

How to choose the right fronting goal

What you see now	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Cannot hear the difference between "key" and "tea"	Perceiving the contrast	Opportunities: points to the right picture out of 10
No /k/ or /g/ even after a model	Placement in syllables	Opportunities: 20 syllable trials
Says /k/ in syllables, fronts in words	Minimal pairs and single words	Percent of 20 untrained words
Back sounds at the start of words only	Final and medial position	Percent of 20 words per position
Correct in words, fronts in sentences	Phrases and sentences	Percent of 20 sentences
Correct in structured tasks, fronts in play	Connected speech and carryover	Percent of target words in a 3 to 5 minute sample

Perception and minimal pairs goals

Start here when the child does not notice the error. Minimal pairs (key and tea, cap and tap, goat and dote) show the child that the sound changes the word.

Given 10 minimal-pair picture sets (such as key and tea), Eli will point to the picture the SLP names in 9 of 10 trials across 2 sessions. Baseline: 6 of 10. Template.
Given 12 pictures, Rosa will sort them into "back sound" and "front sound" piles after hearing each word in 10 of 12 across 2 sessions. Baseline: 5 of 12. Template.
During a minimal-pair game, Eli will say the word clearly enough that the SLP picks the right picture in 8 of 10 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
When a listener picks the wrong picture in a minimal-pair game, Rosa will try the word again with a back sound in 4 of 5 breakdowns. Baseline: 0 of 5; she repeats the same form. Template.

Weak: "Eli will discriminate /k/ and /t/." Measurable: The first goal in this section. It names the task, the number of sets and the criterion.

Syllable and single word goals

Use a tongue-tip-down cue, a "cough" sound, or a gentle press under the chin to find the back of the tongue. Move to words as soon as syllables are steady.

With a hand cue at the throat, Mateo will imitate /k/ and /g/ in consonant-vowel syllables in 15 of 20 trials across 3 sessions. Baseline: 0 of 20. Template.
Given 20 untrained picture words with /k/ or /g/ at the start, Eli will say the back sound, not /t/ or /d/, in 17 of 20 words across 2 consecutive probes. Baseline: 4 of 20. Template.
During a fishing game with 15 target pictures, Mateo will name each with a correct initial /k/ or /g/ in 12 of 15 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 15. Template.
Given 20 words in a weekly cycle (such as /k/ at the start), Rosa will say the pattern correctly in 14 of 20 untrained probe words at the end of the cycle. Baseline: 2 of 20. Template.

Weak: "Mateo will say /k/ with 80% accuracy." Measurable: The second goal in this section. It states the position, the denominator and that the words are untrained.

Final and medial position goals

Many children get final /k/ (back, dog) before initial /k/, because the tongue is already moving back from the vowel. Probe each position on its own before you write the goal.

Given 20 picture words ending in /k/ or /g/, Ava will close each word with a back sound in 18 of 20 words across 2 probes. Baseline: 9 of 20. Template.
Given 15 two-syllable words with medial /k/ or /g/ (such as bucket and wagon), Ava will say the back sound in 12 of 15 words across 3 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 15. Template.
Given 20 words with /k/ or /g/ in all positions, Mateo will say every back sound in the word in 16 of 20 words across 3 sessions. Baseline: 5 of 20. Template.

Weak: "Ava will produce /k/ in all positions." Measurable: The third goal in this section. "All positions" is fine once each position has its own baseline and the word count is stated.

Cluster and longer word goals

Clusters such as "cl," "gr" and "sk" add a second sound next to the back sound. Some children who say /k/ alone front it again in a cluster.

Given 20 words with "cl," "cr," "gl," "gr" or "sk," Leo will keep the back sound and say both consonants in 16 of 20 words across 3 sessions. Baseline: 6 of 20. Template.
Given 10 three-syllable words with /k/ or /g/ (such as kangaroo and alligator), Leo will say every syllable with the back sound in place in 8 of 10 words. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Leo will work on blends." Measurable: The first goal in this section, which names the blends and the count.

Phrase and sentence goals

Using the carrier phrase "I got a ___," Ava will say the phrase with a correct /k/ or /g/ target word in 17 of 20 phrases across 2 sessions. Baseline: 8 of 20. Template.
Given 2 picture cards with /k/ or /g/ words, Leo will make up a sentence with both and say both back sounds correctly in 8 of 10 sentences across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
While reading 10 decodable sentences with marked /k/ and /g/ words, Leo will catch and fix a fronted word in 4 of 5 errors across 3 sessions. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ava will use /k/ and /g/ in sentences." Measurable: The first goal in this section. The carrier phrase is the condition and 20 phrases is the denominator.

Conversation, class and home goals

During a 5-minute pretend kitchen play, Mateo will say /k/ and /g/ correctly in 75% of target words on 2 of 3 monthly samples. Baseline: 25%. Template.
During morning circle and snack, Rosa will say /k/ and /g/ correctly in 8 of 10 target words the teacher or SLP notes, on 3 of 4 weekly checks. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
After playing back a 1-minute recording of her own play, Rosa will mark each /k/ word as right or wrong and agree with the SLP on 8 of 10 words. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
With a family member, Eli will name 10 back-sound practice words at home on 4 of 5 days each week, logged on a home sheet, for 6 weeks. Baseline: no home practice. Template.

Weak: "Mateo will use correct sounds in the classroom." Measurable: The second goal in this section. It names the routines, who scores, the count and the schedule.

How to measure fronting goals

Score each target word as correct, fronted (/t/ for /k/, /d/ for /g/), or other error. The code for the error type matters: a child who moves from fronting to a distorted back sound is making progress even if the word is still wrong. The opportunity trial data sheet has 20 boxes per row, which fits one probe.

Words and phrases. 20 untrained items per probe, once every 2 weeks, at the start of the session before practice. The cold probe guide explains why the order matters.
Conversation. Record 3 to 5 minutes of play. Count every /k/ and /g/ word and report the percent correct of those words, not of all words.
Perception. 10 trials, mixed order, no feedback during the probe.

A filled-in row for the untrained word goal (20 words, initial position) might read: 2 of 20 on the first probe, 7 of 20 after 4 weeks, 12 of 20 after 8 weeks. Graph each probe so the trend is visible at the progress report. The opportunities measurement guide covers how to count prompted responses.

Short-term objectives for a fronting goal

Keep the criterion steady and step up the level. For the untrained word goal, objective 1 could be 15 of 20 syllables after a model by the first report. Objective 2 could be 14 of 20 untrained words with an initial back sound. Objective 3 is the annual goal itself. The guide to breaking a goal into objectives covers the format.

Adapting by age

Age or grade	What changes	Example
Age 3	Short play probes, 10 to 15 words, perception work	The perception goals with 6 picture sets
Age 4 to 5	Minimal pairs, cycles, final position first if easier	Minimal pair, cycle and final position goals
Kindergarten	Sentences, decodable reading, circle time	Carrier phrase, reading and circle time goals
Grade 1 and up	Clusters, longer words, self-monitoring	Cluster, long word and self-rating goals

Fronting often sits beside other patterns such as final consonant deletion. For a full plan across several processes, see phonological processes IEP goals. More templates are on the /k/ and /g/ topic page and the phonological processes goals page. Paste any draft into the goal checker before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

At what age should a child stop fronting?

Most children produce /k/ and /g/ by about age 4, so fronting that is still strong after the fourth birthday usually needs attention. Fronting in a young 3-year-old can still be typical. Intelligibility and the child's other patterns matter as much as age.

Should I write a fronting goal or a /k/ articulation goal?

Write a pattern goal when both /k/ and /g/ are replaced by /t/ and /d/. Write a sound goal when only one sound is off or the error is a distortion. The pattern goal targets the contrast, which often fixes both sounds together.

What if the child cannot say /k/ even after a model?

Start at the syllable level with placement cues, such as holding the tongue tip down or starting from a cough. If the child is still not stimulable after several sessions, try final position, where the back of the tongue is often easier to raise.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Children's English Consonant Acquisition in the United States: A Review (Crowe and McLeod, 2020), American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, via PubMed
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.