Language goals for 2 year olds: toddler speech therapy targets

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Language goals for a 2 year old in early intervention are written as IFSP outcomes, not IEP goals. A good outcome names a routine the family cares about and what the child will do there, and the provider adds a measurable criterion. Example: At snack, Mia will ask for more using a word or sign, in 4 of 5 snacks across a week, as logged by her parent.

Most 2 year olds who get speech and language help are served through early intervention, not through a school IEP. Early intervention is Part C of IDEA, and its plan is the Individualized Family Service Plan, or IFSP.^[1] Part C covers infants and toddlers from birth until the third birthday.^[2] So the "goals" on a 2 year old's plan are IFSP outcomes, written around the family and the child's daily routines.

This page gives 24 example outcomes for language at age 2, each paired with the measurable criterion a speech-language pathologist or early interventionist tracks. The examples are illustrations; the family and team choose outcomes from the child's evaluation and the family's priorities. For goals once a child turns 3 and moves to preschool special education, see the pillar on preschool IEP goals.

IFSP outcomes vs IEP goals

The two plans look similar on paper, but they are built differently.

	IFSP (Part C)	IEP (Part B)
Ages	Birth to 3	3 to 21
Focus	The child and the family	The child's education
Written as	Outcomes, often in the family's words	Measurable annual goals
Where services happen	Natural environments, such as home and child care, to the extent appropriate	School and other settings in the least restrictive environment
Family priorities	Included, with the family's consent	Parent concerns are considered
Measurement	Criteria, procedures and timelines for each outcome	How and when progress is measured and reported

The IFSP must include a statement of the measurable results or outcomes expected for the child and family, including pre-literacy and language skills as developmentally appropriate, with the criteria, procedures and timelines used to measure progress.^[3] Early intervention services are provided in natural environments to the maximum extent appropriate.^[4] That is why a good toddler outcome lives inside bath time, snack or play with a sibling, not inside a therapy room drill.

What a good toddler outcome includes

A useful IFSP language outcome answers four questions:

Which routine? Snack, bath, getting dressed, books before bed, outside play.
What will the child do? Point, use a word or sign, combine 2 words, follow a direction.
How will we know? A criterion with a denominator, such as 4 of 5 snacks.
Who notices? Usually the parent or child care provider, with the provider checking at visits.

Weak: "Mia will improve her expressive language."

Measurable: "At snack and meals, Mia will ask for more using a word, sign or word approximation, in 4 of 5 opportunities on 3 days in a week, as logged by her parent on a fridge chart."

Many families write the outcome in their own words, such as "We want Mia to tell us what she wants so she cries less." The provider then adds the criterion and the routine. Both versions belong on the plan.

How to choose the right target

The evaluation, a parent report and a short language sample usually point to the starting place. ASHA notes that late language emergence is a delay in language onset with no other diagnosed disability, and that some late talkers catch up while others have ongoing difficulty.^[7] A provider watches for which skills are present and which are not.

What the child does now	Sub-skill to target	How to measure
Few gestures, rarely looks between you and a toy	Gestures and joint attention	Opportunities in play, yes or no
Responds to name but follows few words	Understanding words (receptive language)	Correct responses out of opportunities
Uses fewer than a handful of words	First words and signs	Word list kept by the parent
Has many single words, no combinations	2-word combinations	Count of different combinations per week
Talks mostly to label, not to ask or comment	Using words with people	Tally of requests and comments in a routine
Plays briefly, little pretend play	Play and routines	Duration or steps in a play sequence

For general milestone expectations, the CDC's developmental milestone checklists list what most children do by 2 years, such as pointing to things in a book when asked and saying at least 2 words together.^[8] NIDCD also publishes speech and language milestones.^[9] Use those as a guide for families, not as criteria in the outcome.

Gestures and joint attention

IFSP outcome	Criterion the provider tracks	How it is measured
1. During play with bubbles or a wind-up toy, Leo will look at his parent and then back at the toy to ask for more.	3 of 5 opportunities in a play session, across 2 visits	Provider and parent tally at visits
2. When he wants something out of reach, Leo will point to it.	4 of 5 opportunities in a day, on 3 days in a week	Parent log
3. When his parent points to a dog or truck on a walk, Leo will look where she points.	3 of 4 points per walk, across 2 weeks	Parent log
4. Leo will wave or say "bye" when someone leaves the house.	4 of 5 opportunities across a week	Parent log

Weak: "Leo will use gestures."

Measurable: Outcome 2, with its criterion. It names the gesture, the situation and the count.

Understanding words

IFSP outcome	Criterion the provider tracks	How it is measured
5. At bath time, Ava will point to 3 body parts when asked ("Where's your nose?").	3 of 3 body parts on 3 nights in a week	Parent log
6. While getting dressed, Ava will follow 1-step directions without gestures, such as "Get your shoes."	4 of 5 directions on 3 days in a week	Parent log
7. During book reading, Ava will point to a named picture.	5 different pictures named and pointed to in one book session	Provider at visit
8. At cleanup, Ava will put a named toy in the bin when asked.	4 of 5 requests in one cleanup	Parent or child care provider

Weak: "Ava will understand more words."

Measurable: Outcome 6. It says which directions, with or without gestures, and how many.

First words and signs

IFSP outcome	Criterion the provider tracks	How it is measured
9. At snack and meals, Mia will ask for "more" with a word, sign or word approximation.	4 of 5 opportunities on 3 days in a week	Fridge chart
10. Mia will name family members (such as "mama," "dada," a sibling's name) when they walk in.	3 different people named across a week	Parent log
11. Mia will use 10 different words or signs during daily routines.	10 different words on the parent's word list within 3 months	Parent word list
12. During play with animals, Mia will make an animal sound or say the animal name.	5 different animals in one play session	Provider at visit

Weak: "Mia will say more words."

Measurable: Outcome 11. A word list kept by the parent is the simplest way to count new words, and it shows the family their child's progress.

Two-word combinations

IFSP outcome	Criterion the provider tracks	How it is measured
13. During snack, Noah will combine 2 words to ask, such as "more juice" or "cracker please."	3 of 5 snacks on 3 days in a week	Parent log
14. During play, Noah will combine an action and an object, such as "push car" or "open door."	5 different combinations per week	Parent word list
15. Noah will use "no" or "all done" with another word, such as "no bath" or "all done milk."	3 different combinations across a week	Parent log
16. During book reading, Noah will comment with 2 words, such as "big dog."	3 comments in one book session	Provider at visit

Weak: "Noah will use longer sentences."

Measurable: Outcome 14. It names the kind of combination and counts different ones, so repeating "push car" 20 times does not inflate the count.

Using words with people

IFSP outcome	Criterion the provider tracks	How it is measured
17. When he needs help with a lid or a toy, Eli will say "help" or hand it to an adult with a word.	4 of 5 opportunities on 3 days in a week	Parent log
18. Eli will greet his child care teacher with "hi" or a wave at drop-off.	4 of 5 drop-offs in a week	Child care provider log
19. Eli will answer "yes" or "no" (word, sign or head shake) when offered a choice.	4 of 5 choices in a day, on 3 days	Parent log
20. Eli will choose between 2 items by naming one when asked "Milk or water?"	4 of 5 choices across 2 visits	Provider at visit

Weak: "Eli will communicate his wants and needs."

Measurable: Outcome 17. The routine, the word and the count are all clear.

Play and routines that support language

IFSP outcome	Criterion the provider tracks	How it is measured
21. During pretend play, Zoe will feed a doll or stuffed animal and say a word ("eat," "yum," "baby").	2 play sequences with a word in one session	Provider at visit
22. During a familiar song, Zoe will fill in a missing word or do an action when her parent pauses.	3 of 4 pauses per song	Parent log
23. During book reading before bed, Zoe will stay with the book and turn pages for 3 minutes.	3 minutes on 4 of 5 nights	Parent log
24. Zoe's parent will use a pause and wait of 5 seconds during snack before offering an item, so Zoe has a turn to ask.	Used at 4 of 5 snacks, observed at 2 visits	Provider coaching notes

Outcome 24 is an outcome for the family, not the child. Part C allows outcomes for the family as well as the child, and coaching caregivers to use language strategies in routines is a common way services are delivered.^[6]

Weak: "Parent will work on language at home."

Measurable: Outcome 24. It names the strategy, the routine and how the provider checks it.

How progress is tracked

Most toddler data comes from the people who are with the child every day. Give the family a simple chart for the fridge with 2 or 3 outcomes and a checkbox for each opportunity. At each visit, the provider looks at the chart, watches the routine and adds their own tally. A running word list, kept by the parent in a notebook or phone, is the best record of vocabulary growth.

For a printable format, the opportunity data sheet works for "4 of 5" outcomes, and the frequency data sheet works for counting words or combinations. The early communication goal templates show how these targets look once a child moves to an IEP.

IFSP outcomes are reviewed with the family at least every 6 months, or sooner if the family asks.^[10] If a child meets an outcome, write the next step; if the child makes no progress across 2 or 3 months, change the strategy or the routine before changing the outcome.

Turning 3: from IFSP outcomes to IEP goals

Before the third birthday, the early intervention program must hold a transition planning conference with the family and, with consent, the school district.^[5] If the child is eligible for preschool special education, the IFSP outcomes become a starting point for IEP goals, rewritten as measurable annual goals tied to preschool settings. The Part C to Part B transition has its own timeline, and timelines and eligibility rules vary by state.

Outcome 13 (2-word requests at snack) might become an IEP goal like: "During snack and centers in the preschool classroom, the student will use 2-word utterances to request items in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions." The skill is the same; the setting and the measure change. For wording at the next age, see language goal examples and preschool goals by setting. Paste a draft IEP goal into the goal checker to catch vague parts.

Frequently asked questions

Does a 2 year old have an IEP?

Usually not. Children under 3 who qualify for services get an IFSP through their state's early intervention program under Part C of IDEA. The IFSP has outcomes for the child and family. An IEP starts at age 3 if the child qualifies for preschool special education.

What are good speech goals for a 2 year old?

Good outcomes target the next step from what the child does now: pointing and looking to share attention, following 1-step directions, using new words or signs, combining 2 words, and using words to ask, greet and answer. Each one should name a daily routine and a count.

How often are IFSP outcomes reviewed?

The IFSP is reviewed with the family at least every 6 months and evaluated at least once a year. You can ask for a review sooner if your child meets an outcome or if something is not working.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §303.20: Individualized family service plan, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR Part 303: Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities, eCFR (National Archives)
34 CFR §303.344: Content of an IFSP, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §303.13: Early intervention services, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
34 CFR §303.209: Transition to preschool and other programs, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
Part C of IDEA, Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
Late Language Emergence, ASHA
CDC's Developmental Milestones, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Speech and Language Developmental Milestones, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
34 CFR §303.342: Procedures for IFSP development, review, and evaluation, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School

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.