Social-emotional IEP goals for kindergarten
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Social-emotional IEP goals for kindergarten target naming feelings, calming down and getting back to the activity, joining and keeping play with peers, and solving small problems. A strong goal names the situation, the skill the student will use and a count. For example: when upset, the student will use a calm-down routine and rejoin the group within 5 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes.
Kindergarten asks a lot of a 5-year-old's feelings. The day is longer, the group is bigger, there is less free play and more waiting. A student who managed in preschool may cry at every transition or hit when a game does not go their way. Social-emotional goals give that student a skill to use in the moment and give the team a number to watch.
The 16 goals below are grouped into 4 areas. Each one names the situation, the skill and the measure. Baselines are illustrations of the format, not norms. The kindergarten IEP goal examples cover arrival routines, break requests and carpet time, so those are not repeated here.
How to choose a social-emotional goal for kindergarten
CASEL groups social and emotional learning into 5 areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.[1] Those map well onto kindergarten goals. Start from what gets in the way of learning most often, and write the goal as the skill to use instead.
| What you see | Area | Sub-skill to target | How to measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cries, hits or hides but cannot say what is wrong | Self-awareness | Naming and reporting feelings | Opportunities: feelings named when upset |
| Upset episodes last a long time | Self-management | Calming down and returning | Duration of each episode; returns within a time limit |
| Plays alone at recess; does not answer peers | Relationship skills | Starting and keeping play with peers | Opportunities or frequency of initiations |
| Hits back after any bump; tells on peers for everything | Social awareness and decisions | Solving small problems | Opportunities: problems handled with a taught step |
If behavior is frequent, intense or unsafe, the team should also look at why it happens. The IEP team must consider positive behavioral supports when a student's behavior gets in the way of learning.[2] The FBA and BIP guide explains that process. Classroom-wide supports, such as taught expectations and praise, come first for every student.[3]
Worked example: Nora at recess and centers
Nora is 5 years 9 months old. Her teacher and school psychologist track every time she cries, drops to the floor or hits during a 2-week period. They time each episode and note what came right before.
| Week | Episodes | Median length | Most common trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 14 minutes | Losing a game; told no |
| 2 | 11 | 12 minutes | Losing a game; work is hard |
Nora had 20 episodes in 10 days, a median of 13 minutes each. That is over 2 hours of lost learning a week. In 3 of the 20 episodes she used her calm-down card when an adult offered it, and those three lasted 4, 6 and 5 minutes.
The team writes: "When upset during class or recess, Nora will use her calm-down routine (choose a card, take 3 breaths, sit in the calm corner) and rejoin the activity within 5 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes, measured weekly for 4 weeks." A second goal targets losing a game, the most common trigger. The duration data sheet records each episode's start and end.
Naming and reporting feelings
| # | Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Given photos of children showing happy, sad, mad and scared, the student will name the feeling in 9 of 10 photos on 3 weekly probes. | 5 of 10 photos | se-aw-001 |
| 2 | At morning check-in and after lunch, the student will point to a feeling and a size (small, medium, big) on a feelings chart in 8 of 10 check-ins across 2 weeks. | Points at random; 3 of 10 | se-er-003 |
| 3 | When upset, the student will tell an adult what is wrong with a word, sign or picture card before crying or hitting in 3 of 5 episodes across 2 weeks. | 0 of 5 episodes | se-com-020 |
| 4 | During a read-aloud, the student will name a character's feeling and the clue (such as "sad, he's crying") in 4 of 5 questions on 3 weekly probes. | Names feeling only; 1 of 5 with a clue | se-aw-005 |
Goal 1 is a teaching step. Goal 3 is what the student needs in the moment. A student can name feelings in photos and still not use the word when angry, so write the in-the-moment goal too.
Weak: "Nora will identify her emotions."
Measurable: "When upset, Nora will tell an adult what is wrong with a word, sign or picture card before crying or hitting in 3 of 5 episodes across 2 weeks."
Calming down and coping
| # | Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | When upset during class or recess, the student will use a calm-down routine and rejoin the activity within 5 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes, measured weekly for 4 weeks. | Median 13 minutes; 3 of 20 episodes under 7 minutes | se-er-009 |
| 6 | When upset, the student will take 3 slow breaths using a pinwheel or a breathing picture with 1 adult cue in 4 of 5 episodes across 2 weeks. | Refuses; 1 of 5 | se-er-022 |
| 7 | After losing a game or making a mistake, the student will use a coping phrase ("Maybe next time" or "Oops, I can fix it") and keep playing or working in 4 of 5 opportunities. | Quits or cries; 1 of 5 | se-er-006 |
| 8 | At drop-off, the student will say goodbye to the caregiver and join the class within 3 minutes on 8 of 10 school days. | Cries for 15 or more minutes on 6 of 10 days | se-er-014 |
Goal 5 measures the return, not the absence of upset. Five-year-olds will get upset. The goal is getting back to learning faster.
Weak: "Nora will not have tantrums."
Measurable: "When upset during class or recess, Nora will use her calm-down routine and rejoin the activity within 5 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes, measured weekly for 4 weeks."
For goals at later grades, see emotional regulation goal examples and coping skills goals.
Playing and getting along with peers
| # | Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | During recess, the student will start an interaction with a peer (ask to play, offer a toy, call a name) at least 3 times in a 15-minute recess on 3 of 4 observed days. | 0 to 1 times | se-peer-001 |
| 10 | When a peer greets, asks a question or invites the student to play, the student will respond with a word, gesture or action within 5 seconds in 4 of 5 opportunities. | 2 of 5 opportunities | se-peer-002 |
| 11 | During centers, the student will join a group already playing by watching, then asking or offering a related toy, in 3 of 4 opportunities on 3 data days. | Grabs materials; 0 of 4 | se-peer-003 |
| 12 | When a classmate is crying or hurt, the student will check on them ("Are you okay?") or get an adult in 3 of 4 opportunities across 4 weeks. | Keeps playing; 0 of 4 | se-aw-007 |
Recess goals need a recess observer. Assign one adult to watch for 15 minutes on 2 set days a week, with a clipboard and a count.
Weak: "Leo will make friends."
Measurable: "During recess, Leo will start an interaction with a peer at least 3 times in a 15-minute recess on 3 of 4 observed days."
Waiting, trading and turn games have their own page: sharing and turn-taking IEP goals. For later grades, see peer interaction IEP goals.
Solving small problems
| # | Goal | Baseline (illustrative) | Template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Given a short story or picture, the student will tell whether something happened by accident or on purpose in 8 of 10 items on 3 weekly probes. | 4 of 10 items | se-aw-006 |
| 14 | After an accidental bump or a toy knocked over by a peer, the student will say "That's okay" or tell the peer what happened, without hitting back, in 4 of 5 incidents across 2 weeks. | Hits back; 1 of 5 | se-cr-016 |
| 15 | When a small problem comes up (a peer cut in line, a broken crayon), the student will choose "handle it myself" or "get an adult" from a picture chart and act on it in 4 of 5 problems. | Tells an adult about every problem | se-cr-031 |
| 16 | When an adult says no to a request, the student will say "okay" or ask for a different choice and move on within 1 minute in 4 of 5 opportunities. | Argues or cries; 1 of 5 | bh-dir-011 |
Goal 13 builds the thinking behind goal 14. A student who reads every bump as on purpose will keep hitting back until that changes.
Weak: "Sam will use appropriate problem-solving skills."
Measurable: "After an accidental bump or a toy knocked over by a peer, Sam will say 'That's okay' or tell the peer what happened, without hitting back, in 4 of 5 incidents across 2 weeks."
How to measure social-emotional goals
Social-emotional skills show up in real moments, so most data comes from those moments, not from probes.
- Episode goals (3, 5, 6): log each episode with a start time, end time and whether the student used the skill. The duration data sheet does both.
- Opportunity goals (7, 10, 11, 14 to 16): count each time the situation came up and what the student did. The opportunity trial data sheet works.
- Frequency goals (9): count initiations in a set observation, such as 15 minutes of recess, with the frequency data sheet.
- Probe goals (1, 4, 13): a 10-item probe every week or two.
Write down what came right before each episode. That note is how the team finds triggers like Nora's lost games, and it becomes part of the next present levels for social-emotional skills.
Short-term objectives for a calming goal
For goal 5, objectives could read:
- By December, with an adult prompt to the calm corner, the student will rejoin the activity within 10 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes.
- By March, with an adult offering the calm-down card, the student will rejoin within 7 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes.
- By May, the student will start the calm-down routine without a prompt and rejoin within 5 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes.
Each step either shortens the time or fades the prompt.
Adapting goals by support level
| Support level | Condition to name | Example change to goal 9 (recess initiations) |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Unstructured recess, no adult nearby | "At least 3 times in a 15-minute recess" |
| Moderate | Peer buddy and an adult nearby | "With a peer buddy and an adult within 10 feet, at least 3 times" |
| High | Adult-led recess game, picture cards | "During an adult-led recess game, using a picture card to ask a peer to play, at least 2 times" |
| Uses AAC | Device or picture board on the playground | "Using the device's play page, at least 3 times in 15 minutes" |
For goals across all ages, the social-emotional IEP goals pillar has more. The social-emotional goals page and the K to 2 IEP goals page hold matching templates. For the reading side of the same year, see kindergarten reading IEP goals. Paste each draft into the goal checker before the meeting.
Frequently asked questions
What are good social-emotional IEP goals for kindergarten?
Common targets are naming feelings when upset, using a calm-down routine and rejoining the group within a set time, coping with losing a game, starting and answering peer play at recess, and handling small problems without hitting back.
How do I measure a calming down goal?
Log each upset episode with a start and end time, and mark whether the student used the calm-down routine. Report how many episodes ended within the target time, such as 4 of 5 within 5 minutes, and graph the median length each week.
Who writes social-emotional goals in kindergarten?
Often the special education teacher with the school psychologist or counselor, and with the classroom teacher, who sees the student most. The family adds what happens at home. One adult should own the data so it is collected the same way each day.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Social emotional IEP goals
- K 2 IEP goals
- Emotional regulation goals for K to 2
- Peer interaction goals for K to 2
- Duration data sheet
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- IEP goals for preschoolers: examples by area
- IEP goals for kindergarten: examples by area
- Kindergarten reading IEP goals
- Sharing and turn-taking IEP goals
- Emotional regulation and self-regulation IEP goals
- Preschool to kindergarten transition
Sources
- CASEL: Social and emotional learning, CASEL
- 34 CFR §300.324: Development, review, and revision of IEP, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- Tier 1, Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
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.