Preschool and kindergarten
Preschool IEPs measure skills that show up in play, routines and short group times, not on worksheets. A goal for a three year old might be taking turns with a peer during center time or naming ten common objects, measured by observation during the day.
These guides cover goals by developmental area, the move from an IFSP in early intervention to an IEP at age three, accommodations that work in a preschool room, the transition to kindergarten, and early literacy and numeracy goals that fit young children.
Start here
- IEP goals for preschoolers: examples by area
18 preschool IEP goal examples written into play and daily routines, each with an opportunity-based baseline, a varied criterion and a way to measure it.
How-to guides
- How to write IEP goals for preschoolers
Write preschool IEP goals step by step: start from routines and family priorities, take an opportunity baseline, then set the condition, behavior and criterion.
Examples
- Circle time IEP goals
24 circle time IEP goals for preschool: coming to the rug, staying in the group, joining songs, answering questions, waiting to talk and taking part with peers.
- Early literacy IEP goals for preschool
20 early literacy IEP goals for preschoolers covering book handling, print concepts, letters, rhyme, sounds and story talk, each with a baseline and a measure.
- Gross motor goals for preschoolers
20 gross motor IEP goals for preschoolers written into outdoor play, circle and hallway routines, with seconds, feet and trial counts as the measures.
- IEP goals for counting and one-to-one correspondence
20 counting and one-to-one correspondence IEP goals for preschool and kindergarten, with a counting baseline probe, error codes and criteria that fit the skill.
- IEP goals for kindergarten: examples by area
20 kindergarten IEP goal examples for early reading, math, writing, communication and classroom routines, each with a baseline, a criterion and a measure.
- Kindergarten reading IEP goals
20 kindergarten reading IEP goals, from print concepts and letter names to phonics and first words, each with a baseline, a criterion and a short probe.
- Language goals for 2 year olds: toddler speech therapy targets
24 language outcomes for 2 year olds in early intervention, written as IFSP outcomes with the measurable criteria a speech therapist tracks in daily routines.
- Name writing IEP goals for preschool and kindergarten
20 name writing IEP goals for preschool and kindergarten, from finding a name card to writing it from memory, with a 4-point name rubric and baseline examples.
- Play skills IEP goals
24 play skills IEP goals for preschool, from functional toy play to pretend play and peer games, each with a baseline, a varied criterion and a way to measure.
- Preschool accommodations: 12 examples written for the IEP
12 preschool accommodations written as they should read in an IEP, each with when, how much and who provides it, plus an accommodation or modification check.
- School readiness IEP goals for preschool
20 school readiness IEP goals for preschoolers heading to kindergarten: arrival, group directions, work habits, classroom self-help and early concepts.
- Sharing and turn-taking IEP goals
24 turn-taking and sharing IEP goals for preschool and kindergarten, from waiting with a my-turn card to trading toys and taking turns in a conversation.
- Social-emotional IEP goals for kindergarten
16 social-emotional IEP goals for kindergarten on feelings, calming down, playing with peers and solving small problems, each with a baseline and a measure.
- Speech and language goals for 4 and 5 year olds
12 speech and language goals for 4 and 5 year olds: intelligibility, sentences, telling about the day and conversation, each with a baseline from a play sample.
Comparisons
- IEP vs IFSP: early intervention and preschool plans compared
IEP vs IFSP side by side: who each plan serves, the law behind it, who writes it, where services happen, how often it is reviewed and what changes at age 3.
For parents
- Developmental delay eligibility: ages and what happens next
Which ages can use developmental delay as an IEP category, how your state sets the limit, what happens when your child ages out of it, and questions to ask.
- Moving from early intervention to a preschool IEP
Will your child qualify for a preschool IEP after early intervention? How Part B eligibility differs from Part C, a sample eligibility notice and what to ask.
- Preschool to kindergarten transition
How the move from preschool special education to kindergarten works with an IEP: the spring meeting, what can change, a sample IEP page and questions to ask.
Explainers
- Where preschool special education happens: LRE for 3 to 5 year olds
How least restrictive environment rules apply to 3 to 5 year olds, the preschool settings teams choose from, one child's placement and state differences.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn your goals into progress reports
Pro tracks every goal on your caseload and drafts the report for you. Free for 14 days.
Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.