Pronouns IEP goals
10 templates across 5 skills: grammar, syntax & morphology, AAC & augmentative communication, narrative language & retelling, receptive language, capitalization, punctuation & grammar. Open any goal to set the baseline and target from your own data, then print the matching data sheet.
10 templates · 5 skills · Pre-K, K–2, 3–5, 6–8 · How we write and review goals
Goals by skill
Numbers are illustrative; set targets from the student's own baseline.
Grammar, Syntax & Morphology Speech & Language
Use subject pronouns (he, she, they) in sentences
Subject pronouns
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 action pictures of single people or groups and asked "What is happening?", the student will use the subject pronoun (he, she or they) that matches the character(s) when describing the picture independently with at least 85% accuracy on obligatory contexts for subject pronouns, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Use object and possessive pronouns in sentences
Object, possessive, and reflexive pronouns
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 pictures that create contexts for object pronouns (such as "The girl is giving the ball to ___") or possessive pronouns ("The hat is ___"), the student will use the correct object pronoun (him, her, them) or possessive pronoun (his, her, their, mine, yours) in each sentence independently with at least 80% accuracy on obligatory contexts for object or possessive pronouns, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
AAC & Augmentative Communication Speech & Language
Use I, you, and they on the device
Linguistic: pronouns on the device
By the annual IEP review date, during a turn-taking game in which messages are about who does what ("my turn", "you go", "they win"), the student will select the pronoun that matches the person (such as I, you, or they) at the start of a device message independently with at least 80% accuracy on pronoun contexts in device messages, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Narrative Language & Retelling Speech & Language
Introduce characters by name before using pronouns
Introducing characters clearly
By the annual IEP review date, when retelling a short story with two or three characters of the same type (such as two girls or two dogs), the student will introduce each character with a name or describing phrase and use the name again when the actor changes independently in at least 4 of 5 opportunities, in 3 of 4 consecutive biweekly probes, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected every two weeks.
Receptive Language Speech & Language
Tell what a pronoun refers to
Pronoun reference
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 spoken sentence pairs with a pronoun that refers back to a noun, each followed by a question (such as "Who climbed the tree?"), the student will name the person, thing, or idea the pronoun refers to independently with at least 85% accuracy on pronoun reference questions, across 3 consecutive therapy sessions, as measured by opportunity-by-opportunity data collected during each therapy session.
Capitalize names, places, days, months, and the pronoun I
Capitalizing proper nouns and I
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 dictated sentences that each contain one or two proper nouns or the pronoun I, the student will capitalize each name, place, day, month, and the pronoun I independently with at least 90% accuracy on words that require a capital, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Use pronouns that match their nouns in writing
Pronoun usage and reference
By the annual IEP review date, given 10 sentences with a blank and two pronoun choices, the student will write the pronoun that matches the noun it replaces in form and number independently with at least 90% accuracy on pronouns, in 3 of 4 consecutive weekly probes, as measured by work-sample analysis collected weekly.
Pronoun goals come from syntax and morphology, receptive language, AAC, narrative language, and writing mechanics. Early goals target referring to self with I, me, and my; later ones target subject pronouns, object and possessive pronouns, knowing who a pronoun refers to, and introducing a character by name before switching to a pronoun. In writing, goals cover pronoun agreement and choices like I or me. Good goals name the pronoun set, the response mode, and the material, such as photos of classmates, sentence completion, or a retell. Most are measured with percent accuracy on a fixed set of items. Use the pronouns people ask to be called in materials and examples, and never treat a student's chosen pronouns as an error.
Matching data sheets
Each goal above links to the blank sheet built for its measure. These are the sheets this set of goals uses:
Frequently asked questions
How do I write an IEP goal for pronouns?
Name the pronouns and the task. For example: given 10 photos of peers doing actions, the student will describe each using he, she, or they with at least 80% accuracy across 3 sessions. Use the pronouns each person in the photos uses.
Why do some students reverse I and you?
Students who learn language in whole chunks, including some autistic students, may repeat pronouns as they heard them. Model from the student's point of view and teach I and me in real requests.
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