IEP goals for sequencing (reading, language, routines)

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A sequencing IEP goal names what is put in order, how many steps and how the student shows the order. Example: after reading an unpracticed grade 1 story, Eli will put 5 event cards in order and retell them using first, next, then and last, with 5 of 5 in order on 3 consecutive probes. Count the steps in correct position.

Sequencing means putting events or steps in the order they happen. It shows up in three places on IEPs: reading (story events, steps in a process), language (telling events in order with words like first and then) and routines (the steps of a daily task). The goal looks different in each, so the first job is to decide which kind of sequencing the student needs.

The 12 goals below are grouped by setting. Each has a condition, a baseline, a criterion with a denominator and a template link. Numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks. For comprehension goals in every sub-skill, see IEP goals for reading comprehension. The pillar on reading comprehension strategies covers how to teach text structure.

How to choose a sequencing goal

Watch the student order 4 or 5 pictures or events from a short story, then from a familiar routine. Ask them to tell it aloud. The pattern of errors points to the goal.

What the student does	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Puts pictures in random order, even for a familiar routine	Picture sequencing, 3 then 4 steps	Steps in correct position, out of total
Orders pictures but tells them as "and... and..."	Telling events with sequence words	Sequence words used correctly, out of transitions
Retells events but out of order	Story events in order	Events in correct position
Lists facts from a science or history text in any order	Process and timeline sequence	Steps in order, out of total
Knows a routine's steps but skips or swaps them in real life	Routine steps in daily tasks	Task analysis, steps done in order

Teaching students to recognize text structure, including sequence, is one of the recommendations in the What Works Clearinghouse guide for kindergarten through grade 3.^[1]

Scoring rule for order. Count each card that sits in its correct position. A student who puts 5 cards as 1, 2, 4, 3, 5 has 3 of 5 in order (positions 1, 2 and 5). Write the rule on the data sheet so every adult scores the same way.

Story and picture sequencing (preschool to grade 2)

After hearing a short familiar story, Eli will put 3 picture cards in order and tell what happens in each, with 3 of 3 in order in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 3. Template.
After reading an unpracticed grade 1 story, Eli will put 5 event cards in order and retell them using first, next, then and last, with 5 of 5 in order on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
After listening to a story read aloud, Maya will put 4 story events in order by pointing or using her device, with 4 of 4 in order across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Eli will sequence stories." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the text, the number of events, the words to use and the criterion.

Telling events in order (speech-language)

Given a 4-picture sequence, Leo will narrate it using at least 3 different sequence words (first, then, next, after that, finally), in 4 of 5 narratives across 3 sessions. Baseline: uses "and then" only. Template.
After hearing a story, Leo will retell the key events in order with no more than 1 event out of place, on 4 of 5 retells. Baseline: 2 events out of place on average. Template.
Given a familiar process (making a sandwich, planting a seed), Ana will explain at least 5 steps in order using sequence words, scoring 5 of 5 in order on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Leo will use sequence words." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the picture set, the variety of words and the count.

Informational text and timelines (grades 3 to 8)

Given a grade 4 science passage describing a process, Ruby will list its 5 to 7 steps in order on a flow chart, with all steps in order in 4 of 5 passages. Baseline: 3 of 6 steps in order. Template.
Given a social studies passage of 400 to 500 words, Ruby will build a timeline of 6 events with dates, with 6 of 6 in correct order on 3 probes. Baseline: 3 of 6. Template.
Given a description of a life cycle, Theo will put its 4 or 5 stages in order and label each, with all stages correct in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: 2 of 4. Template.

Weak: "Ruby will understand the order of events in texts." Measurable: Goal 2 above. It names the text length, the number of events and what counts as correct.

Routine and functional sequencing

Given 4 photo cards of a familiar classroom task, Sam will put them in order and then do the task in that order, with 4 of 4 in order on 4 of 5 days. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
Given a visual schedule of 5 activities, Sam will say or show what comes next at each transition, for 5 of 5 transitions across 5 consecutive days. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
Given a picture sequence at the sink, Jo will complete the 6 steps of handwashing in order without adult prompts, for 6 of 6 steps on 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 2 of 6. Template.

Weak: "Sam will follow routines." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It ties ordering pictures to doing the task in the same order.

Routine goals are measured as a task analysis: list the steps, mark each one done or not done in order, and report the count. The task analysis data sheet is built for it.

How to measure sequencing goals

Fix the number of steps. A 5-card probe should be 5 cards every time. Changing to 3 cards makes the score jump for no reason.
Use unpracticed stories and passages for reading goals. A story the class retold yesterday is a memory task.
Record what the student said for language goals, close to word for word. Count sequence words afterward.
Graph the count, such as 3 of 5 in order, not a percent. With 5 steps, each step is 20 percentage points, and a percent hides that.

Use the accuracy data sheet for card and timeline probes. Probe every 2 weeks; repeated measures over time are what show a trend.^[2]

Short-term objectives for sequencing goals

Step the number of items or the support. For the story goal: by the first report, 3 of 3 events in order with pictures; by the second, 4 of 4; by the third, 5 of 5 with the sequence words. Each annual goal needs a stated way to measure and report progress.^[3] The short-term objectives guide has the format.

Adapting by grade and support level

Grade band or need	Typical focus	Example change
Preschool	2 or 3 pictures, first and then	Familiar routines and stories
K to 2	4 or 5 story events, sequence words	Picture cards, then words only
Grades 3 to 5	Process steps, timelines	Science and social studies passages
Middle and high school	Multi-step procedures, historical sequence	Lab directions, chapters, cause chains
Access needs	Photo sequences, device responses	Pointing, AAC, real objects

The sequencing goal hub collects templates across reading, language and routines. For goals about the whole retell rather than order alone, see IEP goals for retelling a story. For lessons that move from order to cause, see IEP goals for cause and effect. Check your draft in the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good sequencing IEP goal?

One that names what is ordered, how many steps and how the student shows the order. For example: after reading an unpracticed grade 1 story, the student will put 5 event cards in order and retell them with sequence words, with 5 of 5 in order on 3 probes.

How do I score a sequencing task?

Count each step that sits in its correct position, and report the count out of the total. Write the rule on the data sheet so every adult scores the same way.

Is sequencing a reading goal or a speech goal?

Either, depending on the barrier. Ordering events from a text is a reading goal. Telling events in order with sequence words is often a language goal owned by the SLP. Ordering the steps of a daily task belongs with functional or executive function goals.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
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

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.