Language goals examples for speech therapy

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A language goal names one receptive or expressive skill, the task or setting, the support and a criterion with a denominator. Examples: given 10 classroom directions with before or after, Eli will follow both steps in 8 of 10. In a 50-utterance sample, Ava will use past tense -ed in 15 of 20 obligatory contexts.

These 16 language goals cover the four areas most school SLPs write for: understanding directions and sentence structure, vocabulary, grammar, and narrative and formulation. Each goal shows a condition, a baseline, the criterion and how to measure it, with a link to its full template.

They suit students with a developmental language disorder or language needs linked to another disability, which often show up first as trouble with classroom talk and texts.^[1] For goals across every speech and language area, including speech sounds and AAC, start at the speech therapy IEP goals pillar. Numbers below are illustrations.

How to choose the right language goal

Look at the classroom first, then the test. A low subtest score points to an area. Work samples, a language sample and teacher reports point to the target. The speech and language present levels examples show how to write those findings up.

What the teacher sees	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Starts the wrong step, misses "not" and "except" on worksheets	Directions with concept words	Percent of 10 directions completed
Misreads "because" and "so" questions in science	Sentences with cause and effect	Accuracy on 10 sentence items
Cannot define unit words, uses "thing"	Definitions by category and feature	Accuracy on 10 words, 2-point rule
Skips unknown words in reading	Context clues and asking what a word means	Accuracy on 10 items; opportunities
Drops -ed and joins ideas with "and then"	Grammar forms and sentence combining	Obligatory contexts in a sample
Retells one event, skips the problem	Narrative structure	Rubric points on a recorded retell
Long pauses, "you know, the thing"	Word-finding strategies	Opportunities with strategy use

Directions and sentence understanding goals

These goals target the language teachers use every day. Pull the directions and sentences from real worksheets and tests.

Given 10 spoken directions with not, except or only (such as "circle every word except the nouns"), Eli will complete the direction correctly in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given 10 directions with first, last, before and after, Ruby will carry out the steps in the right order in 9 of 10 on 2 consecutive probes. Baseline: 5 of 10. Template.
Given 10 spoken directions with if, unless or either-or, Marco will act on the condition correctly in 7 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
Given 10 spoken sentences with because or so, Priya will answer a question about which event caused the other in 8 of 10 on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Eli will improve his ability to follow directions." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the kind of direction, the number of items and the criterion.

More templates are on the receptive language goals page, and the following directions topic gathers related goals from other areas.

Vocabulary and word meaning goals

Use words from the student's units, chosen with the teacher. Teach 8 to 12 words per unit and probe them at the end. A generic word list will not help the student in science next week.

Given 10 taught unit words, Owen will define each by its category and function or feature (such as "a thermometer is a tool that measures heat") for 8 of 10 words on the end-of-unit probe. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
Given 10 multiple-meaning words in sentences (such as bark, scale, current), Lena will explain both meanings for 7 of 10 words across 2 probes. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given 10 short grade-level passages with an unfamiliar word, Lena will use a context clue to give a fitting meaning in 7 of 10 passages on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
During class lessons, when Theo meets a word he does not know, he will ask what it means in 4 of 5 observed opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Owen will increase his vocabulary." Measurable: Goal 1 above. "Increase vocabulary" has no list and no unit. This goal has both.

Score definitions with a fixed rule before you start: 2 points for category plus feature, 1 point for one of the two, 0 for neither. Count 2-point answers toward the criterion. See vocabulary and semantics goals for more.

Grammar and sentence goals

Grammar goals target one form at a time, scored in obligatory contexts: the places where the form is required. Count the contexts first, then the correct uses. The syntax entry in the glossary explains the terms.

During a retell of a past event, Ava will mark regular past tense with -ed in 15 of 20 obligatory contexts across 3 sessions. Baseline: 6 of 20. Template.
Given two related picture cards, Jonah will say one sentence that joins the ideas with and, but or or in 8 of 10 pairs across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10, mostly "and then." Template.
Given 2 or 3 short sentences, Mia will combine them into one complex sentence that keeps the meaning in 7 of 10 sets on 2 consecutive probes. Baseline: 1 of 10. Template.
When telling about a class activity, Mia will join events with before, after or when in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Ava will use correct grammar." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names one form, the task and the count of contexts.

Sentence combining connects directly to written work, so share the target with the teacher. The syntax and morphology goals page has 50 templates.

Narrative and formulation goals

Narrative and formulation goals are the bridge to class discussion and written retell. Record each probe, so you can score it later and play it back for the team.

When asked to tell about something that happened to him, Sam will include who, where, what happened, a problem and how it ended, scoring 4 of 5 rubric parts on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
When retelling a story, Sam will connect events with because, so or after that at least 3 times per retell across 3 retells. Baseline: 0 to 1. Template.
When asked an open question during a lesson, Ella will answer with two or more related sentences in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 observed lessons. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
When she cannot find a word during a naming or discussion task, Ella will use a strategy (describe it, give the category, say the first sound) in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Sam will improve his storytelling." Measurable: Goal 1 above. A 5-part rubric gives a number every time.

See narrative language goals and expressive language goals for more.

How to measure language goals

Match the method to the goal before the first session.

Item probes (10 directions, 10 words, 10 sentences) suit receptive and vocabulary goals. Use new items for each probe so the score reflects the skill, not memory. Record them on the accuracy data sheet.
Obligatory contexts suit grammar goals. In a 50-utterance sample or a structured retell, mark each place the form is required and whether it was used.
Rubric scoring suits narrative goals. Use the same rubric and story length each time. The rubric scoring page explains how to make two scorers agree.
Opportunities suit classroom goals, such as asking what a word means. See the opportunities page.

MLU is useful for young students and for tracking overall sentence length, but it can rise while the targeted form stays wrong. Report it next to the goal form, not instead of it. Probe every 2 to 4 weeks and graph the results, because repeated measures over time are what let you judge growth.^[2] For collecting data inside a group session, see speech therapy data collection.

Short-term objectives for language goals

Step up one thing at a time. For grammar and narrative, that is usually the task level: structured drill, then picture description, then retell, then conversation. For receptive goals, it is the complexity: one concept, then two, then concepts embedded in a longer direction.

For the past tense goal: by the first report, 15 of 20 in a sentence completion task; by the second, 15 of 20 in picture description; by the third, 15 of 20 in a retell. The short-term objectives guide covers the format.

Adapting by grade

Grade band	Typical focus	Example change
Preschool	Basic concepts, two-step directions, early grammar	Probe in play with objects, not worksheets
K to 2	Order concepts, plurals and past tense, story retell	Use read-aloud books for narrative probes
Grades 3 to 5	Conjunctions, unit vocabulary, multiple meanings	Pull items from science and social studies units
Middle school	Complex sentences, context clues, academic words	Score in class writing and discussion samples
High school	Figurative language, explanations, test language	Use content-area texts and test directions

If the student is on an autism caseload, speech therapy goals for autism adds goals for indirect language and conversation. Every speech-language skill is on the speech and language goals hub. Run any draft through the goal checker before the meeting.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between receptive and expressive language goals?

Receptive goals measure what the student understands: following directions, answering questions about sentences, picking the right meaning. Expressive goals measure what the student says or writes: sentences, word choice, retell. Many students need one goal of each type.

Should language goals come from standardized test scores?

Use the test to find the area and the classroom to find the target. A low score on a sentence subtest tells you grammar is weak. A language sample and work samples tell you which form to teach and where the student needs it.

How often should I probe a language goal?

Every 2 to 4 weeks is enough for most language goals. Use new items each time, keep the task the same and graph the results so you can see the trend before each progress report.

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.