IEP goals for pronouns

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

A pronoun IEP goal names the pronoun set, the task, the support and a criterion with a denominator. Example: given 10 action photos of classmates, Jada will describe each with the correct subject pronoun in 9 of 10, up from 4 of 10. Teach I and me first, then he, she and they, then object and possessive forms.

Pronoun errors are easy to hear and easy to misread. "Me do it," "Her is running" and "Give it to he" each point to a different gap, and each needs a different goal. A student who says "you want juice" for "I want juice" may be a gestalt language processor using a phrase whole, which calls for a different plan altogether.

What this page adds: a decision table from the error pattern to the sub-skill, 24 goals grouped by pronoun set, a weak and measurable pair in each section, and a short teaching sequence. Numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks. The speech therapy IEP goals pillar covers every other language area.

How to choose a pronoun goal

Probe before you pick. Use 10 picture items per pronoun set, and also listen for pronouns in a 50-utterance language sample. Pronouns are part of syntax and morphology, so read the errors alongside the student's other grammar.^[1]

What you hear	Sub-skill to target	Measurement method
Uses own name or "me" for self ("Me want")	Early pronouns I, me, my	Obligatory contexts in a play sample
"Her running," "Him is tall"	Subject pronouns he, she, they	Picture probe, items correct out of 10
"Give it to he," "That's she book"	Object and possessive pronouns	Picture probe; sample percent correct
Points to the wrong person after "Give it to her"	Understanding pronouns	Items correct out of 10, pointing
Device user taps names, never pronouns	Pronouns on AAC	Opportunities in routines
Stories full of "he" with no name first	Pronoun reference in narratives	Retell rubric or sample count

Check one thing first. If the student says "you" for self in whole, familiar phrases ("Do you want a cookie?" to ask for one), read supporting gestalt language processors. Drilling "I want" at an early gestalt stage often backfires.

Early pronouns: I, me, my and you

During play routines, Leo will refer to himself with I, me or my in 8 of 10 obligatory contexts across 3 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10, uses "Leo." Template.
When an adult holds up two items and says "Whose is it?", Leo will answer "mine" or "my ___" for his own item in 9 of 10 trials across 2 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
During snack, Ruby will use "I want" or "I need" plus an item for 15 requests per 20-minute snack across 3 days. Baseline: 3 requests, uses "want" alone. Template.
During a turn-taking game, Ruby will say "my turn" and "your turn" correctly in 8 of 10 turns across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Leo will use pronouns." Measurable: Goal 1. It names the pronouns, the setting and counts obligatory contexts.

Subject pronouns: he, she and they

Given 10 action photos of classmates, Jada will describe each with the correct subject pronoun ("She is jumping") in 9 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
Given 10 picture scenes with groups of 2 or more people, Jada will use "they" to describe the action in 8 of 10 across 2 probes. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
During a 5-minute retell of a picture book, Mateo will use subject pronouns correctly in 85% of obligatory contexts across 3 retells. Baseline: 50%. Template.
During classroom sharing time, Mateo will use correct subject pronouns in 4 of 5 sentences about a peer across 4 sharing days. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
Given a sentence with an object pronoun error ("Him went home"), Ava will say the corrected sentence in 8 of 10 items across 2 sessions. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.

Weak: "Jada will use he and she correctly 80% of the time." Measurable: Goal 1. It states the material and the count out of 10.

A note on gender: use photos of people whose pronouns the student knows, such as classmates and staff. Accept "they" for any single person whose pronouns are unknown. Score the grammar, not a guess about gender.

Object and possessive pronouns

Given 10 picture prompts ("The ball is for ___"), Owen will fill in the correct object pronoun (him, her, them) in 8 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
During a barrier game, Owen will direct a peer using object pronouns ("Give it to her") in 7 of 10 turns across 2 sessions. Baseline: 1 of 10. Template.
Given 10 photos of students with their belongings, Priya will name the owner with his, her or their ("That is her backpack") in 9 of 10 across 3 probes. Baseline: 5 of 10. Template.
Given 10 items, Priya will answer "Whose is it?" with mine, yours, his, hers or theirs in 8 of 10 across 2 sessions. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
In a 50-utterance conversation sample, Sam will use object and possessive pronouns correctly in 90% of obligatory contexts across 2 samples. Baseline: 64%. Template.

Weak: "Owen will improve his grammar." Measurable: Goal 1. The pronoun set and the task are named, and the count is out of 10.

Understanding pronouns

Given 2 pictures that differ only by gender or number, Mia will point to the picture that matches a spoken sentence with he, she or they in 9 of 10 across 3 sessions. Baseline: 5 of 10. Template.
Given a direction with an object pronoun ("Give the cup to him"), Mia will hand the item to the right person in 8 of 10 directions across 2 sessions. Baseline: 4 of 10. Template.
After hearing a 3-sentence passage, Eli will tell who a pronoun refers to in 8 of 10 questions across 3 passages. Baseline: 3 of 10. Template.
Given a grade-level paragraph, Eli will underline the noun each of 5 pronouns refers to with 4 of 5 correct across 3 paragraphs. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Mia will understand pronouns." Measurable: Goal 2. Handing the item to the right person shows comprehension without needing speech.

Pronouns on an AAC device

Pronouns are core words. Model them on the device in every routine, not only in pronoun lessons. See AAC goals examples for wider AAC goals.

With aided modeling during play, Zoe will use I, you or they on her device in 10 messages per 30-minute session across 3 sessions. Baseline: 1 message. Template.
During snack and centers, Zoe will combine a pronoun with a verb on her device ("I want," "you go") in 8 of 10 opportunities across 2 weeks. Baseline: 2 of 10. Template.
During morning meeting, Aiden will use "my" plus a noun on his device to share a belonging or news in 4 of 5 meetings. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.

Weak: "Zoe will tap I on her device when prompted." Measurable: Goal 1. It counts spontaneous messages in a real routine.

Pronouns in stories and writing

When retelling a story, Nora will name each character before using a pronoun for them in 4 of 5 retells. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
In a written paragraph of 5 or more sentences, Nora will use pronouns that match their nouns in 90% of pronouns across 3 samples. Baseline: 70%. Template.
During an oral retell of a 2-character story, Liam will use pronouns a listener can follow, with fewer than 2 unclear pronouns per retell across 3 retells. Baseline: 6 unclear. Template.

Weak: "Nora will write with correct pronouns." Measurable: Goal 2. It sets the length of the writing and a percentage of pronouns.

How to teach pronouns

Start with self and you. Use real routines: "my turn," "your turn," "my shoe." Photos of the student and a partner make the contrast concrete.
Contrast in pairs. Put two photos side by side that differ by one feature, such as a boy and a girl doing the same action. Model both: "He is eating. She is eating."
Use belongings for possessives. Collect real backpacks and coats and sort them by owner.
Recast errors. When the student says "Her is running," reply "Yes, she is running," with stress on the pronoun. No "Say it again" demand.
Move to stories fast. Picture books with two characters give natural pronoun practice.

How to measure pronoun goals

Score pronoun probes as percent accuracy out of 10 items, with a new set of photos each time so the student is not remembering answers. Record on the accuracy data sheet. For conversation and retell goals, count correct pronouns out of obligatory contexts in a sample of 50 utterances. Probe every 2 to 3 weeks; regular measures on the same task show the trend.^[2]

Short-term objectives for pronoun goals

Step down the support or step up the setting. For Jada's subject pronoun goal: by the first report, 7 of 10 with a model sentence for the first item; by the second, 8 of 10 with no model; by the third, 9 of 10 and 4 of 5 during sharing time. The short-term objectives guide shows the format.

Adapting by age and profile

Age or profile	Typical focus	Example change
Preschool	I, me, my, you in play	Count obligatory contexts during play
K to 2	He, she, they; possessives	Classmate photos and belongings
Grades 3 to 5	Pronoun reference in stories	Retells and short paragraphs
Middle and high school	Clear reference in writing and talk	Essays and oral explanations
AAC user	Pronouns as core words	Aided modeling in every routine
Gestalt language processor	Wait on pronoun drills	Model phrases without pronouns first

The pronouns topic gathers templates from every area, and the syntax and morphology goals page has the full set. For sibling grammar targets, see plurals IEP goals and past tense IEP goals. The goal checker flags goals with no criterion.

Frequently asked questions

In what order should pronouns be taught?

Most SLPs start with I, me, my and you, then he, she and they, then object and possessive forms like him, her, them, his and hers. Probe each set first, since many students have uneven skills across them.

What if the student reverses I and you?

Pronoun reversal is common in autistic children and gestalt language processors, who may use a whole phrase they heard. Model phrases that work without pronouns, such as Snack please, and add pronouns later rather than drilling them.

How should I handle gender in pronoun tasks?

Use pictures of people whose pronouns the student knows, such as classmates, and accept they for anyone whose pronouns are unknown. Score whether the grammar is correct, not a guess about a person's gender.

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.