Speech & Language IEP goals for Dyslexia
37 speech & language templates across 7 skills: phonological processes, vocabulary & semantics, expressive language, narrative language & retelling, receptive language, grammar, syntax & morphology, listening comprehension & auditory processing. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
37 templates · 7 skills · K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Phonological Processes Speech & Language
Blend two sounds into a cluster word
Phonological awareness tied to speech targets
By the annual IEP review date, when the SLP says the two parts of 10 cluster words slowly (such as "s" then "top"), with a picture choice of the cluster word and the reduced word, the student will blend the parts and say the whole cluster word with both consonants independently with at least 80% accuracy on cluster words blended and said with both consonants, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Spell the target sound with the right letter
Phonological awareness tied to speech targets
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 dictated words that contain the target sound or pattern, written on paper or a whiteboard, the student will write the correct letter or letters for the target sound in each word independently with at least 85% accuracy on target-sound spellings in dictated words, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Vocabulary & Semantics Speech & Language
Name category members in one minute
Category naming fluency
By the annual IEP review date, given a spoken category name (such as animals, foods, things in a kitchen) and one minute, the student will name different members of the category independently at a rate of at least 10 correct category members per minute, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
Figure out an unfamiliar word from context
Context clues
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 short passages read aloud, each containing one unfamiliar word with a context clue (definition, example, contrast, or restatement), the student will state a likely meaning of the unfamiliar word and name the clue in the passage that supports it independently with at least 80% accuracy on unfamiliar words in context, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Expressive Language Speech & Language
Restate information in their own words
Paraphrasing
By the annual IEP review date, after hearing a two- to three-sentence statement from a class lesson, the student will restate the information in their own words, keeping the meaning and changing the wording independently with at least 80% accuracy on paraphrase items, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Answer a question about a text with evidence from it
Text-based responses with evidence
By the annual IEP review date, after listening to or reading a short passage and being asked a question that requires evidence, the student will answer the question and cite a specific detail or quote from the text that supports the answer independently with at least 80% accuracy on text-based questions, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Narrative Language & Retelling Speech & Language
Summarize an informational text aloud
Oral summary of informational text
By the annual IEP review date, after listening to a short informational passage or video (3 to 5 minutes) from a current class, the student will summarize the text in three to five sentences that state the main idea and two or three key details independently, earning a score of at least 6 out of 8 on a 4-row oral summary rubric scored 0 to 2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Retell an informational passage by its text structure
Expository retell
By the annual IEP review date, after listening to or reading a 200- to 300-word informational passage at the student's instructional level, the student will retell the passage aloud, stating the topic, using the passage's structure to organize the main points, and giving supporting details independently, earning a score of at least 8 out of 10 on a 5-row expository retell rubric scored 0 to 2 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Receptive Language Speech & Language
Answer questions about sentences with passives and relative clauses
Complex sentence comprehension
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken sentences with a passive, a relative clause, or a clause out of time order, and a question about each (such as "Who did the pushing?", "Which happened first?"), the student will answer the question correctly by saying, writing, or pointing to the answer independently with at least 85% accuracy on complex sentence questions, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Answer questions about however and therefore sentences
Academic language of instruction
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken sentence pairs from content topics that use a connective (such as "The colony grew; however, food was scarce"), each followed by a question, the student will answer the question in a way that shows the relationship the connective signals (contrast, result, or exception) independently with at least 80% accuracy on connective comprehension items, in 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected every two weeks.
Grammar, Syntax & Morphology Speech & Language
Combine short sentences into one complex sentence
Sentence combining
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 pairs of short spoken sentences and asked to say them as one sentence, the student will combine the two sentences into one grammatical complex sentence using a subordinating conjunction (such as because, when, if, although, after) independently with at least 80% accuracy on sentence pairs, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Find and fix the grammar error in a sentence
Grammaticality judgment and repair
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken sentences, about half containing an error in a taught structure (tense, agreement, pronoun, plural), the student will judge whether each sentence is correct and fix the ones that are not independently with at least 85% accuracy on sentences judged and corrected, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Listening Comprehension & Auditory Processing Speech & Language
Tell whether two spoken words are the same or different (auditory discrimination)
Auditory discrimination of words
By the annual IEP review date, given 20 spoken word pairs, half identical and half differing by one sound, with the SLP's mouth covered, the student will say or signal whether the two words are the same or different independently with at least 90% accuracy on same/different judgments, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Answer questions after an audiobook or text-to-speech
Audio-supported reading
By the annual IEP review date, after listening to a grade-level chapter section of 5 to 8 minutes through an audiobook or text-to-speech, with the text visible, the student will answer literal and inference questions about the section independently with at least 80% accuracy on comprehension questions after audio-supported reading, in 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected every two weeks.
See all 40 listening comprehension & auditory processing goals
Articulation, phonology, expressive and receptive language, pragmatics, fluency, and voice. Dyslexia is usually served under Specific Learning Disability. The goals below target the reading skills most often affected: phonological awareness, phonics and decoding, sight word recognition, fluency, and spelling, each measured with probes or word lists that can be repeated weekly.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 25 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 3 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 4 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 5 goals here
Frequently asked questions
Can an IEP say 'dyslexia'?
Yes. The U.S. Department of Education confirmed in 2015 that nothing in IDEA prohibits using the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, or dysgraphia in evaluations, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents. The eligibility category is still Specific Learning Disability in most states.
How are decoding and fluency goals measured?
Decoding goals usually use accuracy on a word list or nonsense-word probe. Fluency goals use words correct per minute on an unpracticed passage at the student's instructional level, measured with curriculum-based measurement probes.
What speech and language goals are common for students with dyslexia?
Expressive and receptive language, pragmatics, articulation or intelligibility, and AAC, depending on the evaluation. Goals are measured trial by trial or by percent accuracy in a session, with a generalization step when needed.
Who writes the goal?
The speech-language pathologist drafts it from the evaluation and the IEP team adopts it. Teachers and families contribute information about communication outside therapy.
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