Social skills groups: goals and data

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

Social skills group goals name a skill each student will use during the group and then outside it, with a criterion you can score while running the session. Example: during a 30-minute group game, Eli will invite a peer to take a turn at least 3 times per session in 4 of 5 sessions, and 2 times per recess on 3 of 4 observed days.

A social skills group gives students a safe place to practice with peers, but the group is a means, not the goal. Each student in the group still needs an individual goal based on their own baseline, and at least one part of every goal should be measured outside the group room. Otherwise the data shows a student who is good at group and nobody knows whether lunch has changed.

The 24 goals below are organized by the skills groups usually target. They are written for school psychologists, SLPs and counselors who co-run groups. Students and numbers are fictional illustrations. For goals not tied to a group format, see social skills IEP goal examples, and for the wider area, the social-emotional IEP goals guide.

How to build a group around goals

Group students by the skill they are working on, not by grade or label. A group of four where two students need conversation repair and two need help joining play will split your attention all session.

Student profile	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Plays alone, does not approach peers	Joining and greeting	Frequency of initiations per session
Interrupts, takes over the game	Turn-taking and waiting	Opportunities: turns waited out of turns
Talks about one topic, misses cues	Conversation exchanges	Count of on-topic back-and-forth turns
Struggles in partner tasks	Cooperation and shared decisions	Opportunities with a short checklist
Melts down when losing or rules change	Flexibility and sportsmanship	Opportunities per loss or change
Skilled in group, absent at recess	Carryover to other settings	Recess or lunch probes, 10 minutes

Keep groups to 3 to 5 students and 25 to 40 minutes. Run a planned activity, such as a cooperative game or a shared building task, so the target skill comes up often enough to count.

Joining and greeting

1. Greeting peers. When entering the group room, Eli will greet at least 2 peers by name without a prompt, in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: greets 0 peers without a prompt.
2. Joining an activity. When peers are already playing, Nora will use a joining phrase ("Can I play?" or "What are you making?") within 1 minute, in 3 of 4 opportunities per session. Baseline: watches from the side in 4 of 4.
3. Inviting a peer. During a group game, Eli will invite a peer to take a turn or join in at least 3 times per session, in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: 0 or 1 invitation per session.
4. Using names. During group discussion, Omar will use a peer's name when starting a comment in 5 of 8 comments per session. Baseline: 1 of 8.

Weak: "Nora will play with peers in group." Measurable: goal 2. It names the phrase, the time limit and the count per session.

Turn-taking and waiting

5. Waiting for a turn. During board and card games, Tyler will wait for his turn without touching the materials, in 8 of 10 turns per session. Baseline: 4 of 10.
6. Passing the materials. When his turn ends, Tyler will hand the shared item to the next player within 10 seconds, in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: needs an adult prompt every turn.
7. Raising a hand in discussion. During group discussion, Ava will wait for the talking object before speaking, in 80% of her comments across 3 sessions. Baseline: 35% of comments.
8. Accepting a peer's choice. When it is a peer's turn to choose the game, Omar will join the chosen game within 1 minute, in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 4; argues for his choice.

Weak: "Tyler will take turns." Measurable: goal 5. It defines what waiting looks like and gives a denominator. The turn-taking goals guide covers younger students.

Conversation exchanges

9. Back-and-forth turns. During a 5-minute partner talk, Maya will keep a conversation going for at least 4 exchanges on a peer's topic, in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: 1 exchange, then returns to her topic.
10. Follow-up questions. After a peer shares news, Eli will ask a related follow-up question in 3 of 4 opportunities. Baseline: 0 of 4.
11. Comments that connect. During snack talk, Ava will make on-topic comments in 4 of 5 of her turns. Baseline: 2 of 5.
12. Ending politely. When leaving a conversation, Maya will use a closing phrase ("I have to go, see you later") in 4 of 5 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: walks away mid-sentence in 5 of 5.

Weak: "Maya will improve her conversation skills." Measurable: goal 9. It sets a length in exchanges, a topic rule and a session count. The conversation skills goals have more wording.

Cooperation and shared decisions

13. Sharing materials. During a building task, Nora will offer a material to a partner at least 2 times per task, in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: 0 offers.
14. Agreeing on a plan. Given a partner project, Omar and a peer will agree on one plan by voting or taking turns choosing, with Omar stating his idea and listening to the peer's, in 3 of 4 projects. Baseline: 0 of 4; Omar decides alone.
15. Doing a share of the work. During a 4-step group task, Tyler will complete his assigned step and check with the group before moving on, in 4 of 5 tasks. Baseline: 2 of 5.
16. Giving a compliment. During cooperative games, Ava will give a specific compliment to a peer at least 1 time per session, in 4 of 5 sessions. Baseline: 0.

Weak: "Omar will cooperate with others." Measurable: goal 14. Cooperation is defined as stating an idea, listening and agreeing on a plan. For giving and taking in disagreements, see compromise IEP goals.

Flexibility and sportsmanship

17. Losing a game. When he loses a game, Tyler will say "good game" or shake hands and stay with the group, in 4 of 5 losses. Baseline: leaves the table or throws pieces in 4 of 5.
18. Rule changes. When the group leader changes a rule, Eli will continue playing with the new rule within 1 minute, in 3 of 4 changes. Baseline: 1 of 4.
19. Winning graciously. When he wins, Omar will make a neutral or kind comment ("That was close") rather than teasing, in 4 of 5 wins. Baseline: 2 of 5.
20. Unexpected outcomes. When an activity is cancelled, Maya will choose an alternative from a choice board within 2 minutes, in 4 of 5 opportunities. Baseline: 1 of 5.

Weak: "Tyler will be a good sport." Measurable: goal 17. It describes what good sportsmanship looks like after a loss.

Carryover to recess, lunch and class

This section matters most. Write at least one generalization goal for each group member, measured by someone outside the group.

21. Recess joining. During recess, Nora will join a peer game using a joining phrase on 3 of 4 observed days, in 10-minute observations. Baseline: 0 of 4 days.
22. Lunch conversation. At lunch, Maya will take part in a conversation of 3 or more exchanges with a peer on 3 of 5 days, recorded by the lunch para. Baseline: 0 of 5.
23. Group work in class. During science lab, Omar will share a role with his partner and agree on a plan in 3 of 4 labs, as recorded by the science teacher. Baseline: 1 of 4.
24. Invitations at recess. During recess, Eli will invite a peer to play at least 2 times per recess, on 3 of 4 observed days. Baseline: 0.

Weak: "Eli will generalize social skills to recess." Measurable: goal 24. It names the setting, the count, the observation schedule and the data collector. The generalization data collection guide shows how to plan probes.

How to take data while running a group

Running a group and scoring four students is hard. Pick one target per student per session, and use a group data sheet with a row per student and a column per opportunity. A second adult, such as a para or co-leader, can score while you lead. On busy days, score two students in the first half and two in the second.

Probe outside settings for 10 minutes once a week per student. Graph group data and outside data on the same chart in two colors, so the gap between them is easy to see. A shrinking gap is the real sign of progress. The guide to group data collection has more layouts.

Short-term objectives for group goals

Write objectives that move the skill from structured practice to natural settings.

In group, during a scripted role play, the student uses the skill in 4 of 5 trials.
In group, during a game, the student uses the skill with 1 visual cue in 4 of 5 opportunities.
In group, independently, 4 of 5 opportunities.
At recess, lunch or in class, independently, on 3 of 4 observed days.

Adapting group goals by grade

Grade band	Typical group activity	Example target
K to 2	Cooperative games, pretend play, puppets	Waits for a turn in 8 of 10 turns
Grades 3 to 5	Board games, building challenges, partner talk	4 conversation exchanges on a peer's topic
Middle school	Problem-solving scenarios, interest clubs, lunch bunch	Agrees on a plan in 3 of 4 projects
High school	Peer mentoring, clubs, mock social events	Joins an existing club conversation 2 times per meeting

CASEL frames relationship skills, such as cooperating and resolving conflict, as one of five core social-emotional competencies.^[1] ASHA's practice portal on social communication describes how pragmatic skills affect peer interaction and why intervention should include natural settings.^[2]

For full goal wording, see the peer interaction goals and the social skills goal hub. Run each draft through the goal checker.

Frequently asked questions

Can all students in a social skills group share one goal?

No. The group can share an activity, but each student needs an individual goal based on their own baseline and needs. Two students working on joining play may still need different criteria and settings.

How do I take data on four students during a group?

Pick one target per student per session and use a group data sheet with a row per student. A co-leader or para can score while you lead, or you can score two students in each half of the session.

How do I know if group skills carry over?

Probe the same skill in a natural setting, such as recess or lunch, for about 10 minutes a week. Graph group and outside data together. When the outside line rises toward the group line, the skill is carrying over.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

CASEL: Social and emotional learning, CASEL
Social Communication Disorder, ASHA

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.