How to measure gross motor goals (skill-component rubrics)
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
To collect gross motor data, break the skill into 3 to 5 observable components, define each one, and score each component present or absent across 3 or 4 trials under the same conditions. Take 3 baseline probes, then probe weekly or every other week. Report the median components shown, and record the help level every time.
Gross motor skills are hard to score as pass or fail. A student can kick the ball every time and still kick with a toe poke and no step. A skill-component rubric fixes that. It breaks the skill into parts you can see, scores each part in each trial, and gives a number that moves as the pattern matures.
This guide walks through the steps, then follows one fictional student from baseline to annual review with a filled-in data sheet. For the goals themselves, see the physical therapy IEP goals pillar. The general method is on the rubric scoring page.
What you need before you start
- The target skill and where it matters. Kicking in PE soccer, galloping in a warm-up, stairs to the library.
- A rubric sheet. The rubric scoring data sheet has rows for components and columns for trials.
- A fixed setup. Same ball, distance, surface and footwear each probe. Write it on the sheet.
- A phone or tablet for video, if school policy and the family's consent allow it. Fast skills are far easier to score from a slowed clip.
- A help-level key that every adult uses: independent, standby, contact guard, minimal, moderate or maximal help.
Not every gross motor goal needs a rubric. Routes use time. Routines like bus steps and transfers use a task analysis. Catches and hits use a count out of 10 on the opportunity data sheet. Use a rubric when the pattern itself is what you want to change.
Step-by-step: building and using a skill-component rubric
Step 1: Pick the skill and the school context
Choose one skill the student needs at school, and name the setting. "Kicking a stationary ball in PE soccer" is a skill and a context. "Lower extremity coordination" is neither. The context decides the setup: a PE soccer ball on the gym floor, not a foam ball in the therapy room.
Step 2: Break the skill into 3 to 5 components
List parts an adult can see in real time or on a clip. Fewer than 3 gives a coarse scale. More than 5 is hard to watch at once. For a kick:
- Takes at least one step toward the ball before kicking.
- Plants the non-kicking foot beside the ball.
- Swings the kicking leg back, then forward through the ball.
- Follows through toward the target with the kicking leg.
Use the movement parts your PT or adapted PE teacher already teaches, so the rubric matches the instruction.
Step 3: Write a definition for each component
A definition makes two adults score the same trial the same way. "Plants the foot beside the ball" becomes "the non-kicking foot lands within about one foot-length to the side of the ball, not behind it." The guide on how to create a rubric for IEP goals covers this in more detail.
Step 4: Set the trial rules
Decide and write down:
- Number of trials per probe: 3 or 4 is enough for most skills.
- Warm-up: one practice try, not scored.
- Cues allowed: none during scored trials, or a single named cue such as "step and kick."
- What counts as a trial: every attempt, even a miss.
Step 5: Take a baseline
Run 3 probes across 1 to 2 weeks. Score each component yes or no in each trial. Add up components per trial, then take the median trial score for the probe. The baseline is the median of the 3 probes. The guide on how to collect baseline data explains why the median beats a single day.
Step 6: Write the goal from the baseline
The goal uses the same rubric, the same setup and a higher criterion. For example: "During PE soccer, Mateo will kick a stationary ball showing 4 of 4 components on 3 of 4 trials." Two numbers matter: components per trial and trials that meet them.
Step 7: Probe on a schedule
Probe weekly for the first month, then every other week if progress is steady. Probe at the same point in the session, ideally before the student is tired. Keep one sheet per goal so the history stays in one place.
Step 8: Graph and decide
Plot the median components per probe. Draw a line from the baseline to the goal by the annual review date. If the last 4 probes fall below the line, change instruction. The guide to the four-point rule and the page on graphing with an aimline show how. Regular, graphed probes are how teams can tell whether instruction is working.[1]
Worked example: Mateo's kick from baseline to annual review
Mateo is a fictional first grader. In PE soccer he kicks with his toe, standing still, and the ball rolls a few feet to the side. His PT and the adapted PE teacher agree on the 4-component kick rubric above, with a size 4 soccer ball on the gym floor, 15 feet from a 6-foot goal, no cues during scored trials.
Baseline, September (3 probes, 4 trials each):
| Component | Probe 1 (T1 to T4) | Probe 2 (T1 to T4) | Probe 3 (T1 to T4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steps toward the ball | N N Y N | N N N N | Y N N N |
| Plants foot beside the ball | N N N N | N N N N | N N N N |
| Leg swings back, then through | Y Y Y N | Y N Y Y | Y Y N Y |
| Follows through to target | Y N Y Y | Y Y N Y | N Y Y Y |
| Components per trial | 2 1 3 1 | 2 1 1 2 | 2 2 1 2 |
| Median for the probe | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2 |
The baseline is 1.5 of 4 components (median of the 3 probe medians), with no trial showing all 4. Present levels read: "Mateo kicks a stationary ball showing a median of 1.5 of 4 components. He does not step toward the ball or plant his foot beside it."
Goal: "During PE soccer, Mateo will kick a stationary ball showing 4 of 4 components on 3 of 4 trials across 2 consecutive probes, by the annual review." Objectives: 2 of 4 components by November, 3 of 4 by February.
Filled-in rubric scoring data sheet, monthly summary:
| Date | Median components (of 4) | Trials with 4 of 4 | Help level | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 12 (baseline) | 1.5 | 0 of 4 | Independent, no cues | Toe kick, no step |
| Oct 10 | 2 | 0 of 4 | Independent | Steps toward ball on 3 of 4 |
| Nov 7 | 2.5 | 0 of 4 | Independent | Objective 1 met |
| Dec 5 | 2.5 | 1 of 4 | Independent | Plant foot behind ball |
| Jan 16 | 2.5 | 1 of 4 | Independent | 4 probes below aimline |
| Feb 13 | 3 | 2 of 4 | Independent | Spot marker added in practice |
| Mar 20 | 3.5 | 2 of 4 | Independent | Objective 2 met |
| Apr 24 | 4 | 3 of 4 | Independent | Goal criterion met, probe 1 |
| May 8 | 4 | 3 of 4 | Independent | Goal met |
In January, four probes in a row fell below the aimline. The plant foot was the stuck component. The PT added a floor spot marker beside the ball during practice only, not during probes, and progress resumed. The progress report for the second quarter said: "Mateo shows 2.5 of 4 kick components. The plant-foot step is the one remaining gap; practice now uses a floor marker." IDEA requires the IEP to say how and when progress will be reported, and this graph gives that report its numbers.[2]
Common mistakes
Weak: "Kicks a ball: yes." Better: Four components scored per trial. A yes or no hides a toe kick.
Weak: Changing the ball, distance or surface between probes. Better: One written setup, used every time. A new setup is a new baseline.
Weak: Scoring a fast skill live with six components. Better: Three to five components, scored from a slowed video clip when possible.
Weak: Giving cues during scored trials but not recording them. Better: No cues during scored trials, or a named cue that appears in the goal's condition.
Weak: One probe a quarter, right before the progress report. Better: Weekly or every other week, so a stall shows up in weeks, not months. The guide on how many data points you need sets a floor.
Weak: The PT scores one way and the PE teacher another. Better: Both score the same three video clips once a quarter and compare. Talk through any component where you disagree until the definition is clear.
Templates and tools
- Rubric scoring data sheet for skill components.
- Task analysis data sheet for routines like bus steps and transfers.
- Duration data sheet for routes, standing time and endurance.
- Gross motor goals for rubric-ready templates, such as running with mature form and the standing long jump.
- The goal checker to confirm a goal names the rubric, the criterion and the trials.
Goal pages that use these rubrics include ball skills, balance and stairs. Paper works fine for all of this; the free data sheets print in a page. Teams that use IEP Atlas Pro progress monitoring can enter the same probe numbers there for progress reports.
Frequently asked questions
How many components should a gross motor rubric have?
Three to five. Fewer gives a scale too coarse to show progress. More is hard to see in a fast movement, even on video. Use the parts the PT or PE teacher already teaches.
How often should gross motor goals be probed?
Weekly for the first month, then weekly or every other week. Probe often enough that four points in a row can show a stall within a grading period.
Should I report the median or the best trial?
Report the median trial for each probe, and the median of probes for the baseline. The best trial overstates what the student does on a typical try. Say which you used on the data sheet.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Rubric scoring measurement guide
- Rubric scoring data sheet
- Gross motor goals (motor skills)
- Gross motor skills in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
- Free IEP data sheets
- Data sheet in the IEP glossary
Related guides
- Physical therapy IEP goals: examples for school-based PT
- IEP goals for balance
- IEP goals for stairs
- IEP goals for ball skills (throwing, catching, kicking)
- Locomotor skills IEP goals: running, skipping and galloping
Sources
- Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- APTA Pediatrics, Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, American Physical Therapy Association
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.