Social Studies Skills IEP goals for kindergarten to grade 2
8 of the social studies skills templates in the library are written for kindergarten to grade 2. Each opens in the builder, where the grade band is a starting point and the baseline comes from your own assessment.
8 templates · 1 skill · K–2 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Social Studies Skills Science, Social Studies & Digital Literacy
Sort pictures into needs and wants
Needs and wants
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photo cards of everyday items (such as food, a coat, a game, a bed) and a two-column needs and wants mat, the student will sort each card into needs or wants independently with at least 90% accuracy on needs and wants cards, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Match community helpers to their jobs
Community roles
By the annual IEP review date, given 8 photos of community workers (such as a firefighter, mail carrier, nurse, bus driver) and 8 photos of the work they do, the student will match each worker to the photo of the work they do independently with at least 88% accuracy on community worker matches, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Find a room using a school map
Maps and globes
By the annual IEP review date, when given a simple school map with picture symbols and asked to lead the adult to a named room, the student will find the named room on the map, point to the route, and walk to the room while holding the map independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Move on a grid map with cardinal directions
Maps and globes
By the annual IEP review date, given a grid map with a compass rose, a starting square and 8 direction cards (such as go 2 squares north), the student will move a marker or walk from the starting square following each direction card and name the place reached independently with at least 88% accuracy on direction cards, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Order events from own life on a timeline
Timelines
By the annual IEP review date, given 4 photos of events from the student's own life (such as being a baby, starting school, a birthday) and a timeline strip, the student will put the photos in order on the timeline from first to most recent independently with at least 75% accuracy on timeline sequences, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Tell the reason for a class rule
Civics: rules and rights
By the annual IEP review date, during a class meeting or social studies lesson when the adult names a class or school rule and asks why we have it, the student will tell one reason for the rule that names how it keeps people safe, fair or able to learn independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks of data, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
In kindergarten through grade 2, social studies skills goals target foundational skills and are measured with short probes, word lists, or direct observation that fit a young student's attention span. Criteria usually use small item sets and frequent checks.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
Frequently asked questions
How are social studies skills goals measured in the early grades?
With brief, repeatable measures: a one-minute probe, a 10-item set, or a few observed opportunities per day. The goal's mastery rule states how many measurements must meet the criterion.
Should early-grade goals be tied to grade-level standards?
Goals come from the student's present levels and should enable progress in the general curriculum, but the criterion is set from baseline data, not copied from a standard. The standard can inform what skill to target.
How many goals should a K-2 student have?
One per area of need identified in the evaluation. Young students often have goals across several areas (communication, early literacy, self-regulation), so keeping each goal to one measure keeps data collection realistic.
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Count trials, prompts, and minutes live in the session; the graph and trend line draw themselves; progress reports are drafted from your data.