Narrative Language & Retelling IEP goals for middle school (grades 6 to 8)
26 of the narrative language & retelling templates in the library are written for middle school (grades 6 to 8). 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 · 6–8 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Narrative Language & Retelling Speech & Language
Make up a story from a picture with story grammar parts
Original story generation
By the annual IEP review date, given a single picture scene that suggests a problem and asked to make up a story about it, the student will tell an original story that includes a character, a setting, a problem, an attempt to solve it, and an ending independently, earning a score of at least 8 out of 10 on a 5-part original story rubric scored 0 to 2 per part, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
Connect events with because, so, and other linking words
Cohesive ties
By the annual IEP review date, when retelling an unfamiliar story with a clear chain of causes and effects, the student will connect events using at least three different linking words that show cause, time, or contrast (such as because, so, when, after, but) independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Include how characters feel and think in a story
Character feelings and thoughts
By the annual IEP review date, when retelling an unfamiliar story in which characters' feelings drive the events, the student will include at least two statements about a character's feelings, thoughts, or plans (such as "She was worried," "He decided to...") independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, across 3 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected weekly.
Retell a story with more than one episode
Multi-episode retell
By the annual IEP review date, after listening to or reading an unfamiliar story with two or three episodes, the student will retell the story, including for each episode the problem, what the character did, and the outcome, in order independently, earning a score of at least 7 out of 9 on a 3-row multi-episode retell rubric scored 0 to 3 per row, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by a defined scoring rubric collected every two weeks.
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.
Explain a process or event series in order
Explaining a process in order
By the annual IEP review date, given a process or event series from a current science, social studies, or math unit and asked to explain it, the student will explain the steps of the process in the correct order using sequence words and the unit's vocabulary independently with at least 85% accuracy on process steps stated in order, on 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected every two weeks.
Middle school narrative language & retelling goals account for multiple teachers, changing classes, and more independent work. They often pair the skill with a strategy or tool, and the data can be collected across settings by different staff or by the student.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
- Rubric trackerScores each rubric criterion and totals the score for each sample.Used by 12 goals here
- Opportunity trackerRecords each opportunity as independent, prompted, or not demonstrated.Used by 6 goals here
- Accuracy trackerNumber correct out of number attempted, with percent accuracy and support level.Used by 6 goals here
- Task-analysis checklistMarks each step of a routine as independent, with support, or not completed across sessions.Used by 2 goals here
Frequently asked questions
How are narrative language & retelling goals measured across several middle school classes?
By defining the task and the observation period so any teacher can use the same sheet, or by work samples collected from more than one class. Student self-monitoring with a weekly check is common.
Should middle school goals include study skills?
When assessment shows that organization, planning, or test preparation limits the student's progress, yes. Those goals are measured with task-analysis checklists and percent of assignments completed.
When does transition planning start?
The IEP in effect when the student turns 16 must include postsecondary goals and transition services, and many states start at 14. Middle school goals can build the self-advocacy and independence those plans rely on.
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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.