Reading IEP goals for Multiple Disabilities
39 reading templates across 8 skills: sight word recognition, letter names & sounds, print concepts & early literacy, phonological awareness, reading comprehension, phonics & decoding, reading fluency, vocabulary. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
39 templates · 8 skills · Pre-K, 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.
Sight Word Recognition Reading
Read functional and safety words
Functional and community words
By the annual IEP review date, given 15 functional words and phrases (for example, EXIT, STOP, RESTROOM, DANGER, OPEN, CLOSED) shown in photographs of real signs and labels, the student will read each word or phrase aloud and say or show what to do independently with at least 85% accuracy on functional sign words, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Match identical printed words
Word matching
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed word card and a row of 3 word cards, one of which is identical, the student will point to or place the word that matches independently with at least 90% accuracy on word matching trials, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Letter Names & Sounds Reading
Name the letters in their first name
Letters in own name
By the annual IEP review date, given a name card with the student's first name printed in uppercase and lowercase, the student will point to and name each letter in their first name from left to right independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during arrival or sign-in.
Sort letters from numbers and shapes
Distinguishing letters from other symbols
By the annual IEP review date, given a mixed set of 12 cards showing letters, numerals, and simple shapes, the student will sort the cards into letters and not-letters independently with at least 90% accuracy on sorted items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Print Concepts & Early Literacy Reading
Turn adapted e-book pages with a switch
Book handling with switches and devices
By the annual IEP review date, during shared reading of an adapted e-book on a tablet with a single switch set to turn the page, the student will read through the adapted e-book with the switch, turning each page when the adult finishes reading, performing at least 4 of 5 steps independently, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by a task-analysis checklist collected twice weekly.
Answer print questions with an AAC device
Print concepts with AAC
By the annual IEP review date, during shared reading, when the adult asks 8 print questions (such as which way do I go, where do I start, is this a letter or a word) and the device has a print concepts page, the student will answer each print question by selecting the matching button on the print concepts page independently with at least 75% accuracy on print concept questions, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Phonological Awareness Reading
Point to the picture of a word spoken in sounds
Receptive blending
By the annual IEP review date, given a word spoken one sound at a time and a choice of 3 pictures, the student will point to the picture of the word independently with at least 85% accuracy on receptive blending items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Onset-rime blending with picture choices
Pointing and AAC response formats
By the annual IEP review date, given a word spoken as onset and rime and a field of 3 pictures, one of which is the word, the student will select the picture that shows the blended word independently with at least 85% accuracy on onset-rime blending items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Reading Comprehension Reading
Point to pictures to answer questions about a story read aloud
Listening comprehension with pictures
By the annual IEP review date, after listening to a short picture book read aloud, given 5 who, what, and where questions with a choice of 3 pictures for each, the student will point to the picture that answers each question independently with at least 85% accuracy on picture-choice questions, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Answer questions about a schedule, menu, or timetable
Functional texts
By the annual IEP review date, given a bus or train timetable and 5 questions about times and routes, the student will state the answer to each question and point to where it was found independently with at least 85% accuracy on functional text questions, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Phonics & Decoding Reading
Read short sentences made of taught words
Sentence-level decoding
By the annual IEP review date, given 5 printed sentences of 3 to 6 words made only of taught CVC words and taught high-frequency words, the student will read each sentence aloud independently with at least 90% accuracy on words in the sentences, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Match a silently read word to its picture
Decoding with pointing and AAC responses
By the annual IEP review date, given a printed decodable word and a field of 3 pictures whose names differ by one sound (such as cat, cap, cot), the student will select the picture that matches the printed word independently with at least 85% accuracy on printed words matched to pictures, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Reading Fluency Reading
Join in on the repeated line of a predictable book
Choral participation
By the annual IEP review date, during a group read-aloud of a familiar predictable book with a repeated line, when the adult pauses and signals the group to read the line together, the student will say the repeated line along with the group independently in at least 5 of 6 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed read-alouds, as measured by direct observation collected daily during story time.
Adapted news story fluency
Fluency for emerging readers with significant support needs
By the annual IEP review date, given an unpracticed 40- to 60-word adapted news story built from the student's known words, with a photo, the student will read the story aloud for 1 minute independently at a rate of at least 30 words correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
Vocabulary Reading
Find a defined word on an AAC device
Vocabulary with AAC
By the annual IEP review date, given a spoken student-friendly definition of a unit word stored on the student's device, the student will navigate to and select the word on the device that matches the definition independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Match community and job words to photos
Functional vocabulary with photos
By the annual IEP review date, given a spoken community or job word from a taught set of 12 and a field of 4 real photos, the student will point to, touch, or select the photo or object that matches the word independently with at least 80% accuracy on community and job words matched to photos, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. Students with multiple disabilities have combined needs that one program cannot serve alone, and their goals focus on communication, participation in routines, and daily living, with careful attention to the response mode and prompting level. Small, well-defined steps make progress measurable.
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 21 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 13 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 2 goals here
- Reading fluency trackerWords attempted, errors, words correct per minute, and accuracy for each probe.Used by 1 goal here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 1 goal here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 1 goal here
Frequently asked questions
What goals fit students with significant support needs?
Functional communication (requesting, choosing, refusing in any mode), participation in classroom routines, daily living steps, and functional academics such as recognizing a name or a schedule symbol. Goals are built from task analyses and opportunity data.
How do I write a goal when the student needs prompting?
Put the prompting level in the support part of the goal and set the criterion for a lower level than the current one. 'With a gestural prompt' can be the target when the baseline is a physical prompt.
How are reading goals measured for students with multiple disabilities?
With the same measures as any reading goal: accuracy on word lists for decoding, words correct per minute on an unpracticed passage for fluency, and percent of questions answered or a rubric for comprehension. The disability informs the supports and conditions, not the measure.
Which reading skill should the goal target first?
The one the evaluation shows is limiting progress. Foundational skills (phonological awareness, decoding) usually come before fluency, and fluency before comprehension goals that depend on it, but assessment, not sequence, decides.
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