IEP goals for preschoolers: examples by area

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

IEP goals for preschoolers should name a skill the child will use during real play and routines, such as snack, circle or arrival. A strong goal states the routine, the behavior, the level of help and a count of opportunities. For example: during snack, the child will request more food with a word, sign or picture in 4 of 5 chances.

Preschool goals work best when they live inside the day the child already has. A three-year-old does not sit for 10 trials of a flashcard drill. The same child asks for a turn on the slide 6 times a morning, and that is where the goal and the data both come from.

The 18 goals below are grouped by area. Each one names a routine, a behavior, a criterion and how to count it. The baselines are made-up numbers that show the format. They are not norms or targets for any child.

What a preschool IEP has to describe

For a preschool child, the present levels statement describes how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities, as the federal IEP rule puts it.^[1] For a three- or four-year-old, "appropriate activities" means play, circle time, snack, outdoor time and the routines of the classroom. Goals that sit inside those activities match the law's framing and the child's real day.

Preschool special education usually begins at age 3. Many children arrive from early intervention with an IFSP, and the outcomes on that plan are a good place to start. For a child moving from early intervention, federal rules call for an IEP or IFSP to be in place by the third birthday.^[2] The Part C to B transition entry explains that handoff.

How to choose the right preschool goal

Start from what gets in the way of the child joining in. Then pick the routine where that skill comes up most often, because more chances mean more teaching and more data.

Child profile	Skill to target first	Routine with the most chances	How to measure
Few or no words, reaches or cries to get things	Requesting with a word, sign, picture or device	Snack, toy play, outdoor equipment	Opportunities: count chances and independent requests
Plays alone, leaves when a peer joins	Shared play and turn-taking	Centers, blocks, sand table	Opportunities or duration of shared play
Melts down at transitions	Moving between activities with a visual cue	Arrival, clean-up, end of outdoor time	Opportunities: transitions completed with the planned level of help
Needs full help with coat, toileting or handwashing	Steps of one self-care routine	Arrival, bathroom, before snack	Task analysis: steps done independently
Avoids crayons and scissors, weak grasp	Fine motor use in art and table toys	Art, table time, play dough	Percent of attempts or task analysis
Uses language but cannot name letters, shapes or counts	Early academic concepts in play	Circle, centers, read-aloud	Percent accuracy on probes inside play

Pick 3 to 6 goals for most preschoolers. A child with many needs still learns through the same routines, so a long list of narrow goals can crowd the day. Choose the skills that open the most doors.

Write goals into play and routines

A routine-based goal counts chances the day already gives you. It does not need a separate drill. The Division for Early Childhood recommends embedding instruction within and across everyday routines and activities.^[3] Here is how one goal goes from observation to baseline to annual target.

Worked example. Theo is 3 years 8 months old. He reaches and cries when he wants a snack item or a toy. The SLP and teacher observe snack and table play on 4 mornings in September. They count each time Theo clearly wants something and record what he does.

Day	Chances to request	Requests with a sign, word or picture (no prompt)	Requests after a model	Reach or cry only
Mon	9	1	4	4
Tue	7	0	3	4
Wed	10	2	5	3
Thu	8	1	3	4

Theo's independent requests were 1 of 9, 0 of 7, 2 of 10 and 1 of 8. That is 4 of 34 chances, about 12%. After a model, he requested on another 15 of 34 chances. So he can do it with help, and the gap is doing it on his own.

The team writes: "During snack and table play, Theo will request a desired item or action using a sign, word or picture symbol, without a model, in 7 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive data days." The jump from about 1 in 10 to 7 in 10 is ambitious but reasonable for a skill he already shows with a model. The opportunity trial data sheet fits this goal: one row per chance, a mark for independent, modeled or no request.

Communication goals for preschoolers

These cover requesting, following directions, answering simple questions and early joint attention. Each links to its area in the library: early communication goals, receptive language goals for preschool and AAC goals for preschool.

#	Routine	Goal	Baseline (illustrative)
1	Snack, toy play	During snack and table play, the child will request a desired item using a sign, word or picture symbol, without a model, in 7 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive data days.	4 of 34 chances over 4 days
2	Circle, clean-up	During circle and clean-up, the child will follow a one-step direction with a familiar object ("Put the book on the shelf") within 10 seconds, with no gesture, in 8 of 10 directions across 2 weeks.	3 of 10 directions without a gesture
3	Shared book reading	During a shared book with an adult, the child will answer "what" and "who" questions about pictures with a word or by pointing, in 4 of 5 questions on 3 of 4 weekly probes.	1 of 5 questions
4	Outdoor play, centers	During outdoor play, the child will point to or show an object to an adult and look back at the adult's face (joint attention) at least 5 times in a 20-minute session on 3 of 4 observed days.	1 time in 20 minutes

Weak: "Theo will improve his communication skills."

Measurable: "During snack and table play, Theo will request a desired item using a sign, word or picture symbol, without a model, in 7 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive data days."

The weak version has no routine, no behavior anyone can count and no finish line. The measurable one tells any adult in the room what to watch for and how to mark it.

Play is the work of a preschool classroom. These goals target staying with a peer, taking turns, joining in and using words during play. See play and social participation goals for preschool and the turn-taking goal topic.

#	Routine	Goal	Baseline (illustrative)
5	Blocks, sand table	During center time, the child will stay in shared play with at least 1 peer for 5 consecutive minutes, with no more than 1 adult reminder, on 4 of 5 days.	Median 1 minute across 5 days
6	Board game, ball play	During a structured game with 1 peer and an adult, the child will wait for and take a turn, using a turn card if needed, in 8 of 10 turns across 3 sessions.	4 of 10 turns
7	Arrival, centers	When peers are playing, the child will join with a word, gesture or by offering a toy, in 3 of 4 opportunities across 2 weeks.	0 of 4 opportunities
8	Dramatic play	During pretend play, the child will link 3 related pretend actions (feed the doll, wipe its face, put it to bed) on 4 of 5 probes, with adult modeling faded to none.	Single actions only, 5 of 5 probes

Weak: "Maya will play nicely with friends."

Measurable: "During center time, Maya will stay in shared play with at least 1 peer for 5 consecutive minutes, with no more than 1 adult reminder, on 4 of 5 days."

"Nicely" means something different to every adult. Minutes in shared play and the number of reminders are things two people can count the same way.

Self-care and routine goals for preschoolers

Self-care goals let a child take part with less adult help. Break each one into steps and count the steps done alone. The task analysis data sheet lists the steps down the side and the days across the top. Related library pages: preschool readiness goals, toileting goals for preschool and emotional regulation goals for preschool.

#	Routine	Goal	Baseline (illustrative)
9	Before snack, after bathroom	Given a picture sequence at the sink, the child will complete 6 of 6 handwashing steps independently on 4 of 5 consecutive days.	2 of 6 steps
10	Arrival	At arrival, the child will hang up a backpack, put away a folder and move to the first activity with no more than 1 gesture prompt on 8 of 10 school days.	2 of 10 days
11	Clean-up, end of outdoor time	Given a visual first-then card and a 1-minute warning, the child will move to the next activity within 2 minutes without crying or dropping to the floor in 4 of 5 transitions daily, for 2 consecutive weeks.	2 of 5 transitions
12	Bathroom schedule	During scheduled bathroom times, the child will tell an adult or use a picture to show a need to use the toilet in 3 of 5 opportunities across 10 school days.	0 of 5 opportunities

Weak: "Leo will be independent with handwashing."

Measurable: "Given a picture sequence at the sink, Leo will complete 6 of 6 handwashing steps independently on 4 of 5 consecutive days."

Motor goals for preschoolers

Motor goals belong in the routines where the child already uses their hands and body: art, play dough, outdoor play and moving through the room. See fine motor goals for preschool and gross motor goals for preschool.

#	Routine	Goal	Baseline (illustrative)
13	Art, table time	During art, the child will snip paper with child-safe scissors held thumb-up, making 3 cuts across a 1-inch strip, in 4 of 5 attempts across 3 sessions.	1 of 5 attempts
14	Art, drawing center	Given a model, the child will copy a vertical line, horizontal line and circle that an adult can recognize, scoring 3 of 3 shapes on 3 consecutive weekly probes.	1 of 3 shapes
15	Outdoor play, hallway	During outdoor play, the child will walk up and down 4 playground steps using alternating feet with 1 hand on the rail, in 4 of 5 trials across 2 weeks.	Steps one at a time, 0 of 5 trials alternating

Weak: "Ava will improve fine motor skills."

Measurable: "During art, Ava will snip paper with child-safe scissors held thumb-up, making 3 cuts across a 1-inch strip, in 4 of 5 attempts across 3 sessions."

Early academic goals for preschoolers

Early academic goals still belong in play. Count bears at snack, find letters in a name puzzle, sort shapes at the block shelf. See early numeracy goals and letter knowledge goals.

#	Routine	Goal	Baseline (illustrative)
16	Snack, centers	During snack and centers, the child will count up to 5 objects, touching each one once, and say the total when asked "How many?", in 8 of 10 opportunities across 2 weeks.	3 of 10 opportunities
17	Arrival, name puzzle	Given the 26 uppercase letters, the child will name the letters in their first name and point to them when named, with 100% accuracy on 3 consecutive weekly probes.	2 of 5 letters in "SOFIA"
18	Read-aloud, circle	During read-aloud, the child will fill in the rhyming word at the end of a familiar repeated line in 4 of 5 chances on 3 of 4 weekly probes.	1 of 5 chances

Notice that the criteria change from goal to goal. A name has a fixed set of letters, so 100% is the right target. A rhyme fill-in has natural misses, so 4 of 5 is fair. Pick the criterion from the skill and the baseline, never by default.

Weak: "Sofia will learn her letters."

Measurable: "Given the 26 uppercase letters, Sofia will name the letters in her first name and point to them when named, with 100% accuracy on 3 consecutive weekly probes."

Developmental vs age-expected targets

A preschool team often has to decide between two kinds of targets. A developmental target is the next step from where the child is now. An age-expected target is what most children that age can do. A good goal usually aims at the next step, while keeping the age-expected skill in view so the team knows how far the child has to go.

Area	Child now (illustrative)	Developmental target (next step)	Age-expected skill (age 4)	Which to write and why
Requesting	Reaches or cries	Single sign, word or picture to request	Short sentences to ask and explain	Developmental: the child needs a way to ask before longer sentences
Play	Plays alone, side by side at most	5 minutes of shared play with 1 peer	Cooperative pretend play with roles	Developmental: shared play comes before roles
Turn-taking	Grabs toys	Waits for 1 turn with a turn card	Waits through several turns in a group game	Developmental, with the turn card faded across the year
Fine motor	Fisted grasp, scribbles	Copies vertical line, horizontal line and circle	Copies a cross and a square, starts writing name	Developmental now, age-expected shapes as next year's step
Counting	Counts by rote to 3	Counts 5 objects with 1-to-1 touch	Counts 10 or more objects and tells how many	Developmental: one-to-one correspondence is the gate skill
Self-care	Needs full help at the sink	6 handwashing steps with pictures	Washes hands with a reminder only	Age-expected is close, so aim at it with the pictures as support

The age-expected column is a rough description to orient the team, not a norm. When a goal aims at the age-expected skill, check that the baseline makes it reachable in one year. A child who copies no shapes today is unlikely to write a full name by spring, so a goal that demands it sets everyone up to call the year a failure.

How to measure progress in a preschool classroom

Most preschool goals use opportunities data. The adult marks each chance the routine gives: independent, prompted or no response. This works well because the count comes from the day itself.

A few habits keep the data honest:

Decide the data days. Two or three set days a week is enough for most goals. Mark them on the classroom schedule so the data does not fall to whoever has time.
Name the prompt level. Use the same prompt hierarchy for every adult. "Model" should mean the same thing on Monday and Thursday.
Count the real chances. If snack gave only 3 chances to request, record 3. Do not stage 10 extra chances to fill the sheet.
Check in more than one place. A skill seen only at the snack table is not yet generalized. Add one probe a month in another routine or at home. The generalization entry explains why.

Graph the percent of opportunities every 2 weeks. If 6 data points sit flat below the line from baseline to target, change how you teach the skill before the next progress report.

Short-term objectives for preschool goals

Short-term objectives are not required for most children, but many preschool teams write them anyway because they show the steps toward a big goal.^[1] For young children, the steps usually fade help or add settings, not raise a percentage.

For goal 1 (requesting), objectives could read:

By November, during snack, the child will request a desired item after an adult model in 7 of 10 opportunities.
By February, during snack, the child will request without a model in 5 of 10 opportunities.
By May, during snack and table play, the child will request without a model in 7 of 10 opportunities.

Each step changes one thing: the level of help, then the criterion, then the number of routines. The short-term objectives guide shows more patterns.

Adapting goals by setting and support level

The same skill can be written for different settings and amounts of support. Change the condition and the criterion, not the skill.

Setting or support	Condition to name	Criterion pattern	Example change to goal 6 (turn-taking)
Inclusive preschool, light support	Peer-led play, no adult in the game	Higher, with no visual	"with 2 peers and no adult in the game, in 8 of 10 turns"
Inclusive preschool, moderate support	Adult nearby, visual turn card	Moderate, with the visual named	"with a turn card and an adult nearby, in 8 of 10 turns"
Self-contained early childhood class	Adult in the game, 1 peer	Fewer turns, more sessions	"with 1 peer and an adult, in 6 of 8 turns across 4 sessions"
Home or community services	Caregiver as play partner	Counted by caregiver log	"with a caregiver during a 10-minute game, in 4 of 5 turns on 3 of 4 logged days"

For more goal wording by setting, see goals for the early childhood setting. For a child whose eligibility is developmental delay, the developmental delay goal hub groups goals by area.

From preschool to kindergarten

The spring before kindergarten, the team writes goals the child will carry into a new building. Favor skills that work in any classroom: requesting help, following a group direction, moving between activities and taking care of belongings. The kindergarten IEP goal examples pick up where these leave off, with more pre-reading and early math.

Two more pages help with the next IEP. The preschool IEP goals page holds the full set of templates by area. When the draft is done, paste each goal into the goal checker to catch a missing condition or criterion. For writing the baseline itself, see how to collect baseline data.

Frequently asked questions

How many IEP goals should a preschooler have?

Most preschoolers do well with 3 to 6 goals. Choose skills that help the child take part in the most routines, such as requesting, shared play, transitions and one self-care routine. A long list of narrow goals is hard to teach and hard to track in a busy classroom.

Can preschool IEP goals be measured during play?

Yes, and they usually should be. Count each chance the routine gives, such as each time the child wants a snack item, and mark whether the child responded on their own, with help or not at all. That gives a percent of opportunities you can graph every two weeks.

Should a preschool goal aim at what other children that age can do?

Aim at the next step from the child's baseline, and keep the age-expected skill in view as the longer target. A goal that jumps straight to the age-expected skill is often out of reach in one year, which makes it hard to see the progress the child is making.

Do parents help write preschool IEP goals?

Parents are members of the IEP team. They know which routines are hard at home, such as meals, bath time or getting in the car. Those routines can shape the goal, and a parent can count chances at home with a simple log.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
34 CFR §300.124: Transition of children from the Part C program to preschool programs, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
DEC Recommended Practices, Division for Early Childhood, Council for Exceptional Children

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.