Grades K-2 Social-Emotional & Communication IEP goals
163 social-emotional & communication templates list kindergarten to grade 2 among their grade bands, across 8 skills: emotional regulation, requesting help, peer interaction, self-advocacy, conflict resolution, play & social participation, functional communication, social awareness & perspective taking. Each opens in the builder with a matching data sheet.
163 templates · 8 skills · K–2 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Emotional Regulation Social-Emotional & Communication
Begin a chosen regulation strategy soon after a known trigger
Starting a chosen regulation strategy after a trigger
By the annual IEP review date, after a known trigger occurs (such as an unexpected loud noise, a difficult task, a correction), as identified in the student's regulation plan, the student will begin using To choose for the student: the strategy from their personal regulation menu (such as deep breathing, a squeeze ball, headphones, a movement break, the break area) independently within 60 seconds, on 4 of 5 consecutive observed opportunities, as measured by latency recording collected daily during the settings where triggers most often occur.
Return to the class activity after a regulation break
Returning to activity after a break
By the annual IEP review date, after a timed break in the designated break area ends, the student will return to the class activity and begin the next step of the assigned task independently within 2 minutes, on 4 of 5 consecutive breaks, as measured by latency recording collected daily.
Requesting Help Social-Emotional & Communication
Request help when stuck during independent work
Requesting help when stuck during independent work
By the annual IEP review date, when they are unable to continue an independent work task, the student will request help from an adult by raising a hand, placing a help card on the desk, or saying or signing "help" independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three times per week during independent work.
Request help with a functional task using any communication mode
Requesting help with functional tasks (including AAC)
By the annual IEP review date, with access to their communication device or system when they need adult help with a task during snack, arrival, or art (such as a closed container, a material out of reach), the student will request help by selecting HELP on their communication device, signing HELP, handing a help card to an adult, or saying "help" independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during snack and arrival routines.
Peer Interaction Social-Emotional & Communication
Initiate interactions with peers during recess
Initiating interactions with peers
By the annual IEP review date, during a 20-minute recess period, the student will initiate an interaction with a peer (such as greeting, inviting to play, commenting, showing or offering an item) using speech, sign, AAC, or gesture independently at least 3 times per 20-minute recess period, across 3 consecutive observed recess periods, as measured by frequency recording collected twice weekly.
Respond to peers' greetings, questions, and invitations
Responding to peer initiations
By the annual IEP review date, when a peer greets them, asks a question, or invites them to play during unstructured times, the student will respond to the peer with a related word, sign, gesture, device message, or action (such as waving back, answering, joining the activity) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive observed sessions, as measured by direct observation collected twice weekly.
Self-Advocacy Social-Emotional & Communication
State a preference or decline an offer
Stating preferences and declining
By the annual IEP review date, when offered a choice of activities, materials, or foods during a structured routine, the student will state a preference or decline the offer using a respectful protest form (such as "no thank you," "I want something else," shaking the head, or a "stop/no" symbol) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly during choice, snack, and play routines.
Request a change to the environment when a barrier is present
Requesting environmental or sensory adjustments
By the annual IEP review date, when an environmental barrier is present during instruction (such as loud noise, glare, crowded seating, an obstructed view of the board), the student will request a specific environmental change (such as move seats, use noise-reducing headphones, dim a light, move closer to the board) independently in at least 3 of 4 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly during the settings where barriers most often occur.
Conflict Resolution Social-Emotional & Communication
Use a fair-decision strategy when peers want the same thing
Using fair-decision strategies
By the annual IEP review date, when they and a peer both want the same item, turn, or role during play or centers, the student will suggest or agree to a fair-decision strategy (such as take turns, set a timer, rock-paper-scissors, share, or choose something else) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly during play, centers, and games.
Apologize after hurting or upsetting a peer
Apologizing after causing harm or an accident
By the annual IEP review date, when they have accidentally or intentionally hurt, bumped, or upset a peer, or damaged a peer's work or item, the student will apologize to the peer by naming what happened and offering to make it right (such as "Sorry I knocked it over. Want help rebuilding it?") independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by direct observation collected weekly, combining observed events, staff reports, and role-play probes.
Play & Social Participation Social-Emotional & Communication
Play next to peers with similar materials
Parallel play near peers
By the annual IEP review date, during centers when peers are playing with the same type of materials (such as blocks, playdough, cars), the student will play within arm's reach of a peer using similar materials independently for at least 6 minutes, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by duration recording collected three times per week during centers.
Imitate a peer's play action
Imitating a peer's play action
By the annual IEP review date, during play when a peer within view does a play action with similar materials (such as stacks blocks, drives a car down a ramp), the student will imitate the peer's play action within 10 seconds using their own materials independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three times per week during play.
Functional Communication Social-Emotional & Communication
Request preferred items or activities with two-symbol messages
Requesting with multi-symbol messages in classroom routines (AAC)
By the annual IEP review date, with access to their communication device during snack, play, and choice routines, the student will request a preferred item or activity by combining two symbols (such as "want bubbles," "more music," "go swing") independently in at least 8 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected three times per week.
Request a break using a communicative response
Requesting a break (functional communication replacement)
By the annual IEP review date, when presented with a demanding or non-preferred task, the student will request a break by handing a break card, selecting BREAK on their communication device, signing, or saying "break, please" independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive data collection days, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected daily during the activities identified in the FBA.
Social Awareness & Perspective Taking Social-Emotional & Communication
Name basic emotions in photos of people
Naming basic emotions in others
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 photos of children in everyday situations showing happy, sad, mad, or scared, and a choice board of 4 emotion symbols, the student will name or point to the emotion that fits the person in each photo independently with at least 80% accuracy on emotion photos, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Notice when a classmate is sad or hurt
Noticing a peer who is upset
By the annual IEP review date, during free play, centers, or the playground, when a nearby peer cries, falls, or shows they are upset, the student will respond to the upset peer by going over, asking "Okay?", bringing a comfort item, or telling an adult independently in at least 3 of 5 opportunities, on 4 of 5 observed days, as measured by direct observation collected 3 times per week.
In kindergarten through grade 2, social-emotional & communication 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:
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 109 goals here
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 8 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 5 goals here
- Duration trackerTimes how long a behavior lasts and compares it with the target duration.Used by 20 goals here
- Latency trackerTimes the gap between a cue and the start of the response.Used by 12 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 8 goals here
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 1 goal here
Frequently asked questions
How are social-emotional & communication 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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