School readiness IEP goals for preschool

"School readiness" is not a test score. In a preschool IEP, it means the routine skills that let a child take part in a classroom: coming in and settling, following directions given to the whole group, working at a table, taking care of their own things, and using early concepts in daily activities. These are the skills kindergarten teachers notice in the first week.

The 20 goals below are grouped by routine. Each baseline is an illustration of the format, not a norm. For circle time goals, see circle time IEP goals. For letters and print, see early literacy IEP goals for preschool. The preschool IEP goals pillar covers the full range.

How to choose a school readiness goal

Spend two mornings watching the child across the whole schedule, not just one activity. Mark where the child needs the most adult help. Then find the matching row.

The What Works Clearinghouse guide on preparing young children for school covers both early academic and social-emotional skills.^[1] For most children with IEPs, the routine and social side is where the goal belongs, and early concepts are taught inside those routines.

Worked example: Amara and table time

Amara is 4 years 7 months old and will start kindergarten next fall. Her teacher timed how long she stayed at a table activity (puzzles, play dough, drawing) across 4 days in January. Each activity lasted 10 minutes.

Her median was 3.5 minutes, and she finished 0 of 4 activities. Play dough held her longest, so the team started there. The goal: "During a 10-minute table activity, Amara will stay seated and work on the task until it is finished or time ends, using a 3-step first-then strip, in 4 of 5 activities across 2 weeks." The duration data sheet tracked minutes, with a column for "finished."

Arrival and separation goals

Weak: "Jonah will separate from his mother appropriately."

Measurable: "At drop-off, Jonah will wave goodbye to his mother and join the class activity within 3 minutes on 4 of 5 mornings."

Group direction goals

Weak: "Lucas will follow classroom rules."

Measurable: "When the teacher gives a one-step direction to the whole class, Lucas will start it within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 directions."

Work habit goals

Goal 12 is useful for children who will spend part of kindergarten working on their own while the teacher leads a group. It teaches a routine, not a skill on one worksheet.

Weak: "Amara will increase her attention span."

Measurable: "During a 10-minute table activity, Amara will stay seated and work on the task until it is finished or time ends, using a first-then strip, in 4 of 5 activities."

Classroom self-help goals

Weak: "Ava will be more independent."

Measurable: "At the start of table work, Ava will get her supply box from the shelf and put it back after, completing 4 of 4 steps independently on 4 of 5 days."

Early concepts in classroom routines

These goals teach concepts inside daily jobs and centers. For counting, see IEP goals for counting and one-to-one correspondence.

Weak: "Will know colors and shapes."

Measurable: "During art and clean-up, the child will identify 6 colors by pointing or naming in 9 of 10 probes across 2 sessions."

The library has 45 templates on the preschool readiness goals page and more on the school transitions goals page.

How to measure school readiness goals

• Arrival and transitions (1, 4, 8): time from the cue to the child joining, with a stopwatch or the latency data sheet.
• Directions and requests (5, 6, 13, 14, 19): count each direction or chance and mark the response on the opportunity trial data sheet.
• Multi-step routines (2, 12, 15, 16): a task analysis data sheet with one row per step.
• Staying with an activity (10, 11): duration in minutes, plus whether the task was finished.
• Concepts (17, 18, 20): short probes inside the activity, 2 times a week.

Collect data across different days and staff. A child who joins the class at 3 minutes with their favorite aide may take 10 with a substitute. Note who was there.

Short-term objectives for a group direction goal

For goal 5 (one-step group directions), objectives could read:

1. By November, when the teacher says the child's name first and then gives the direction, the child will start it within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 directions.
2. By February, with a picture of the direction held up, the child will start it within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 directions.
3. By May, with no name or picture cue, the child will start it within 10 seconds in 4 of 5 directions.

Adapting by age and support level

For the move to kindergarten, see preschool to kindergarten transition. For supports that often go with these goals, see preschool accommodations. The Division for Early Childhood recommends teaching skills like these within the child's daily routines.^[2] Paste each draft into the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• Preschool readiness goals (functional skills)
• Preschool IEP goals
• Goals for the early childhood setting
• School transitions goals (functional skills)
• Preschool special education in the IEP glossary
• IEP goal checker

Related guides

• IEP goals for preschoolers: examples by area
• Preschool accommodations: 12 examples written for the IEP
• Preschool to kindergarten transition
• Early literacy IEP goals for preschool
• Circle time IEP goals
• IEP goals for kindergarten: examples by area

Sources

1. Preparing Young Children for School, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
2. 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.