Writing simple sentences is a foundational skill crucial for effective communication. For students needing extra support, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) often include specific goals targeting this area. This guide provides examples of measurable and achievable IEP goals for writing simple sentences, catering to diverse learning needs and levels. We'll explore different aspects of simple sentence construction, offering adaptable templates you can use as a starting point.
Understanding the Components of Simple Sentences
Before crafting effective IEP goals, it's vital to understand the building blocks of a simple sentence:
- Subject: The person, place, thing, or idea the sentence is about.
- Predicate: The verb and its related words that describe what the subject is doing or being.
- Subject-Verb Agreement: The verb must agree in number (singular or plural) with the subject.
A simple sentence contains one independent clause (a complete thought). For example: "The dog barks." ("Dog" is the subject; "barks" is the predicate.)
IEP Goal Examples: Targeting Different Skill Levels
The following examples demonstrate how to write measurable IEP goals, focusing on various aspects of simple sentence construction. Remember to tailor these examples to the individual student's specific needs and current abilities.
Beginner Level:
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Goal: Given a picture, [Student's Name] will orally produce and then write five simple sentences containing a subject and a verb, with 80% accuracy across three consecutive sessions.
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Rationale: This goal focuses on the basic elements of a simple sentence. Oral production before writing helps bridge the gap between spoken and written language. The accuracy percentage and repeated sessions ensure consistent progress.
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Goal: Given a list of five common nouns and five action verbs, [Student's Name] will independently write five simple sentences correctly using subject-verb agreement, achieving 90% accuracy on two separate occasions.
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Rationale: This goal provides structured support while still requiring independent sentence construction. The use of a word list scaffolds the writing process.
Intermediate Level:
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Goal: Given a topic sentence, [Student's Name] will write three to five simple sentences elaborating on that topic, demonstrating correct subject-verb agreement in at least 80% of sentences across four observation periods.
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Rationale: This goal moves beyond basic sentence construction, encouraging expansion of a single idea using simple sentences. The topic sentence provides a clear framework.
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Goal: [Student's Name] will write a short paragraph (five to seven sentences) describing a familiar event, using simple sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation (periods), and subject-verb agreement, with accuracy demonstrated in 75% of sentences across two independent writing samples.
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Rationale: This goal incorporates paragraph writing, introducing the concepts of capitalization and punctuation within simple sentence construction.
Advanced Level:
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Goal: Given a short story prompt, [Student's Name] will write a short narrative (at least eight sentences) incorporating a variety of simple sentences, demonstrating accurate subject-verb agreement, correct punctuation, and varied sentence beginnings in at least 85% of the sentences.
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Rationale: This goal focuses on fluency and sentence variation within simple sentence structures, pushing towards more sophisticated writing.
Key Considerations When Writing IEP Goals
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Measurability: Goals should be clearly measurable and observable. Use quantifiable terms like percentages, numbers of sentences, or frequency of accurate responses.
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Attainability: Set realistic goals that are challenging yet achievable for the student.
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Relevance: The goals should be directly related to the student's individual needs and learning objectives.
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Time-Bound: Specify a timeframe for achieving the goals, such as "within six weeks" or "by the end of the semester."
Remember, regular progress monitoring is essential to track the student's progress and adjust the IEP goals as needed. Collaboration between educators, parents, and the student is vital for success. These examples provide a solid foundation for developing effective and impactful IEP goals for writing simple sentences.
