IEP goals for describing and attributes

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A describing IEP goal names the item, how many attributes the student must give and a criterion across trials. Example: given 10 familiar objects, Mila will describe each with 4 attributes, including category, function and one physical feature, in 8 of 10, up from 1 attribute. Count attributes, and test with a listener who has to guess.

Describing is a workhorse skill. Students describe to explain what they need ("the long blue thing in the art room"), to define words, to write, and to get around a word they cannot find. A student who describes a pencil as "you know, the thing" is not lazy. They often lack a mental checklist of what to say about an object.

What this page adds: an attribute checklist you can use in every goal, a decision table, 12 goals across five describing skills, a weak and measurable pair per section, and a scoring method that counts attributes. Numbers are illustrations, not norms. The speech therapy IEP goals pillar covers every other area, and expressive language IEP goals covers the wider expressive picture.

The attribute checklist

Pick a fixed set of attributes and use the same set in teaching and in data. A common set of 8:

Attribute	Question it answers	Pencil example
Category	What group is it in?	A school supply
Function	What do you do with it?	You write with it
Parts	What parts does it have?	Eraser, point, wood
Size	How big is it?	About as long as a hand
Shape	What shape is it?	Long and thin
Color	What color is it?	Usually yellow
Material	What is it made of?	Wood and graphite
Location	Where do you find it?	In a desk or pencil box

Print the checklist as a visual card with an icon per attribute. Fade the card as the student starts using the order on their own.

How to choose a describing goal

Ask the student to describe 5 familiar objects without help and count attributes per object. Describing draws on vocabulary, semantics and sentence formulation, all areas a language disorder can affect.^[1]

What you see	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Cannot point to "the soft one" or "the one with wheels"	Understanding attributes	Items correct out of 10
Gives 1 attribute, usually color	Describing objects with attributes	Attributes per item
Describes, but a listener still cannot guess	Describing for a listener	Partner guesses out of 5
Cannot say how two things are alike or different	Comparing	Items correct out of 10
Device user labels but never describes	Describing on AAC	Messages with a describing word

Understanding attributes

Given a field of 4 pictures and a spoken description with 2 attributes ("It is round and you eat it"), Mila will point to the matching picture in 9 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 5 of 10. Template.
Given a field of 4 pictures and 10 describing words (bumpy, empty, striped), Mila will point to the picture that matches in 8 of 10 across 2 probes. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
Given 10 questions about an object's attributes ("What is it made of? What shape is it?"), Theo will answer correctly in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Mila will understand describing words." Measurable: Goal 1. It sets the field size, the description and the count.

Describing objects and scenes

Given 10 familiar objects and the attribute card, Rafi will describe each with 4 attributes, including category and function, in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 attribute per item. Template.
Given 10 objects with no visual card, Rafi will describe each by its group, use and parts in 7 of 10 across 2 probes. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
Given a picture scene, Leah will describe it in 4 or more sentences that include at least 2 detailed noun phrases ("the big brown dog with a red collar") in 4 of 5 scenes. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Rafi will describe objects." Measurable: Goal 1. It counts attributes and names 2 that must be included.

Describing so a listener can guess

Given a hidden picture, Kiara will describe it so a peer picks it from a field of 6 in 4 of 5 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When she cannot think of a word during class, Kiara will describe it with at least 2 attributes so the listener understands in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Kiara will use more details." Measurable: Goal 1. The listener's guess is a real test of a useful description.

Comparing

Given 10 pairs of familiar items, Jonah will tell one way they are alike and one way they are different in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given 5 pairs of science unit words (frog and toad), Jonah will compare them with 2 likenesses and 2 differences in 4 of 5 pairs across 2 probes. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Jonah will compare and contrast." Measurable: Goal 1. It sets how many likenesses and differences count.

Describing on AAC

With aided modeling during play and art, Ava will add a describing word (big, red, soft, broken) to a device message in 10 messages per 30-minute session across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 messages. Template.
During shared reading, Ava will combine a describing word with a noun on her device ("big dog," "funny face") in 6 of 10 opportunities across 3 weeks. Baseline: 1 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Ava will use adjectives on her device." Measurable: Goal 1. It counts real messages during real activities.

How to teach describing

Use one checklist, every time. Same attributes, same order, same icons. The routine becomes the student's own planning tool.
Start with real objects. Students can feel texture and weight. Then move to pictures, then to items not in view.
Play guessing games. Mystery bag, barrier games and "I spy" make describing purposeful. If the partner cannot guess, the student gets natural feedback.
Build noun phrases. Expand the student's words: "dog" to "the big dog" to "the big dog with a red collar." Try adding describing words as a grammar goal when the student is ready.
Connect to writing. The same checklist works as a prewriting organizer for descriptive paragraphs.

How to measure describing goals

Count attributes per item, using the fixed checklist, and report the median across 10 items. Use new objects each probe. For listener goals, record partner guesses out of 5 turns. A 4-point rubric also works: 4 for 4 or more attributes with category and function, 3 for 3 attributes, 2 for 2, 1 for 1 or a vague answer. Record on the rubric scoring data sheet and probe every 2 to 3 weeks.^[2]

Short-term objectives for describing goals

For Rafi's goal: by the first report, 3 attributes per item with the card and an adult pointing to each icon; by the second, 3 attributes with the card alone; by the third, 4 attributes including category and function, with the card on the desk but not referred to. The short-term objectives guide covers the format.

Adapting by grade and profile

Grade or profile	Typical focus	Example change
Preschool	Color, size, function with real objects	Mystery bag in play
K to 2	3 to 4 attributes with a visual card	Show and tell, barrier games
Grades 3 to 5	Category and function in definitions; comparing	Science and social studies words
Middle and high school	Precise description in explanations	Lab write-ups and oral reports
AAC user	Describing words on the device	Aided modeling during art and play
Word-finding needs	Describing as a repair strategy	Pair with word retrieval goals

Describing is a key fallback when a word will not come; see word retrieval IEP goals. Category knowledge feeds the first attribute, so category IEP goals are a natural partner. For students who use echolalia, see speech therapy goals for echolalia. Templates are on the expressive language goals page, and the goal checker flags goals with no criterion.

Frequently asked questions

How many attributes should a describing goal require?

Base it on the baseline. A student who gives 1 attribute might aim for 3 or 4. Name the required attributes, such as category and function, so the student cannot reach criterion with color, size and shape alone.

Should students use a visual describing card in the goal?

Use it while teaching and name it in the condition if the student still needs it. Fade it in short-term objectives so the annual goal measures describing without the card or with it present but not pointed to.

How do describing goals help with word finding?

When a word will not come, describing its group, use and features lets a listener understand anyway. Many students use describing as their main repair strategy, so the two goals work well together.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

Spoken Language Disorders, ASHA
Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention

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.