Phonological Awareness IEP goals for grades 3 to 5
26 of the phonological awareness templates in the library are written for grades 3 to 5. Each opens in the builder, where the grade band is a starting point and the baseline comes from your own assessment.
26 templates · 1 skill · 3–5 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Phonological Awareness Reading
Segment spoken words into phonemes (timed)
Phoneme segmentation
By the annual IEP review date, given a 1-minute oral probe of spoken one-syllable words with two to four phonemes, the student will say each individual sound in each spoken word independently at a rate of at least 35 sounds correct per minute, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by timed probes collected weekly.
Segment spoken words into syllables
Syllable segmentation
By the annual IEP review date, given a spoken two- to four-syllable word, the student will say each syllable of the word while tapping once per syllable, then state the number of syllables independently in at least 9 of 10 opportunities, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Delete and substitute phonemes in spoken words
Phoneme manipulation
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken one-syllable words, each with an oral direction to delete or change one named phoneme, the student will say the new word that results from deleting or substituting the named sound independently with at least 80% accuracy on phoneme manipulation items, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Segment words into sounds using sound boxes
Phoneme segmentation accuracy
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken one-syllable words with 2 to 4 sounds and a row of sound boxes with chips, the student will push one chip into a box for each sound while saying the sounds in order independently with at least 90% accuracy on words segmented completely and in order, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Blend four- and five-sound words
Blending words with consonant blends
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken one-syllable words with 4 or 5 sounds (including initial or final consonant blends) presented one sound at a time, the student will say the whole word independently with at least 85% accuracy on blending items, across 3 consecutive sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected twice weekly.
Change one sound at a time in a word chain
Phoneme chaining
By the annual IEP review date, given a spoken starting word and a series of 10 oral directions to change, add, or remove one sound to make the next word, the student will say the new word after each change independently with at least 90% accuracy on chain steps, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Grades 3 to 5 phonological awareness goals build on foundational skills and begin to use longer tasks, multi-step work, and independence as the target. Measurement shifts toward curriculum-based probes, work samples, and rubrics the student can see.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Frequency & rate trackerCounts a defined behavior during a fixed observation period. Calculates rate when time is recorded.Used by 2 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 11 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 13 goals here
Frequently asked questions
What changes in phonological awareness goals between the early and upper elementary grades?
Tasks get longer and more independent, and the support level in the goal moves from prompts toward checklists and self-monitoring. The measure often changes too, from direct observation to work samples and probes.
Can an upper elementary goal include self-monitoring?
Yes. Students at this age can check their own work or rate their own behavior, and the goal can measure both the skill and the accuracy of the self-rating.
How do I set a criterion for a grade 3 to 5 student working below grade level?
Use the student's baseline on the measure and expected growth for that measure, not the grade-level benchmark. The goal should be ambitious for the student, as Endrew F. requires, and reachable within the year.
IEP Atlas Pro
Turn these goals into progress reports
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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.