Introduction

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Learning disabilities are common, affecting at least 1 in 59 children. In the U.S., 4 million children younger than 18 have learning disabilities, and 1 in 5 children have learning and thinking differences such as ADHD. Approximately 10% of the world's population has dyslexia.

If you are a teacher or school administrator, you may be working with students with learning disabilities. IEP goals are important for these students because they provide a roadmap for progress. IEP goals are written by a team of educators and parents, and they are tailored to the individual needs of the student.

This blog post will provide a list of IEP goals for students with learning disabilities, as well as examples of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals.

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IEP Goals for Specific Learning Disabilities

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Dyslexia: IEP goals for students with dyslexia could include:

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• Increasing decoding accuracy by 10%
• Improving reading fluency by 20 words per minute
• Increasing comprehension of grade-level text by 80%
• Improving spelling accuracy by 5%

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Here are some examples of written out IEP goals for students with dyslexia:

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Increasing decoding accuracy by 10%

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• The student will correctly decode 90% of words on a list of 100 words, with 80% accuracy.
• The student will be able to read grade-level text with 90% decoding accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created reading comprehension assessment.
• The student will be able to read a list of 100 words with 90% decoding accuracy in 60 seconds.

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Improving reading fluency by 20 words per minute

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• The student will read grade-level text at a rate of 80 words per minute, as measured by a teacher-created fluency assessment.
• The student will be able to read a passage of text with 90% fluency, as measured by a teacher-created fluency assessment.
• The student will be able to read a passage of text at a rate of 80 words per minute with 90% comprehension, as measured by a teacher-created fluency assessment.

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Increasing comprehension of grade-level text by 80%

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• The student will answer 80% of comprehension questions accurately on a grade-level text, as measured by a teacher-created comprehension assessment.
• The student will be able to summarize the main points of a grade-level text with 80% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created comprehension assessment.
• The student will be able to answer inferential questions about a grade-level text with 80% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created comprehension assessment.

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Improving spelling accuracy by 5%

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• The student will spell 95% of the words on a list of 100 words correctly, with 90% accuracy.
• The student will be able to spell grade-level words with 95% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created spelling assessment.
• The student will be able to spell grade-level words in their writing with 95% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created writing assessment.

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These are just a few examples, and it is important to tailor the goals to the individual needs of each student. When developing IEP goals, it is important to consider the student's strengths and weaknesses, their grade level and academic expectations, their social-emotional and behavioral needs, and their interests and goals. For a more comprehensive list, visit our full Dyslexia IEP goal bank.

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Dyscalculia: IEP goals for students with dyscalculia could include:

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• Increasing number recognition accuracy by 10%
• Improving counting skills to 100
• Increasing addition accuracy by 80%
• Increasing subtraction accuracy by 70%
• Increasing multiplication accuracy by 60%
• Increasing division accuracy by 50%

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Here are some examples of written out IEP goals for students with dyscalculia:

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Increasing number recognition accuracy by 10%

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• Goal: The student will increase number recognition accuracy from 75% to 85% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will correctly identify 85% of the numbers from 0 to 100, with 80% accuracy.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's number recognition accuracy will be monitored weekly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Improving counting skills to 100

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• Goal: The student will be able to count to 100 accurately by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will count to 100 accurately, with 90% accuracy.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's counting skills will be monitored biweekly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Increasing addition accuracy by 80%

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• Goal: The student will increase addition accuracy from 60% to 80% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will solve addition problems with 80% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created addition assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's addition accuracy will be monitored monthly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Increasing subtraction accuracy by 70%

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• Goal: The student will increase subtraction accuracy from 50% to 70% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will solve subtraction problems with 70% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created subtraction assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's subtraction accuracy will be monitored bimonthly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Increasing multiplication accuracy by 60%

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• Goal: The student will increase multiplication accuracy from 40% to 60% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will solve multiplication problems with 60% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created multiplication assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's multiplication accuracy will be monitored quarterly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Increasing division accuracy by 50%

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• Goal: The student will increase division accuracy from 30% to 50% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will solve division problems with 50% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created division assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's division accuracy will be monitored semiannually using a teacher-created assessment.

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Dysgraphia: IEP goals for students with dysgraphia could include:

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• Improving handwriting legibility by 10%
• Reducing grammar errors by 5%
• Reducing punctuation errors by 5%
• Improving spelling accuracy by 5%

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Here are some actual IEP examples for improving handwriting legibility, reducing grammar errors, reducing punctuation errors, and improving spelling accuracy:

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Improving handwriting legibility by 10%

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• Goal: The student will improve handwriting legibility from 75% to 85% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will write all letters and numbers legibly, with 80% accuracy.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's handwriting legibility will be monitored weekly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Reducing grammar errors by 5%

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• Goal: The student will reduce grammar errors from 10% to 5% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will write a passage of text with 5% grammar errors, as measured by a teacher-created grammar assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's grammar errors will be monitored biweekly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Reducing punctuation errors by 5%

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• Goal: The student will reduce punctuation errors from 10% to 5% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will write a passage of text with 5% punctuation errors, as measured by a teacher-created punctuation assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's punctuation errors will be monitored monthly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Improving spelling accuracy by 5%

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• Goal: The student will improve spelling accuracy from 85% to 90% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will spell all words in a passage of text with 90% accuracy, as measured by a teacher-created spelling assessment.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's spelling accuracy will be monitored quarterly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD): IEP goals for students with NLD could include:

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• Improving social-emotional skills by 10%
• Improving problem-solving skills by 80%
• Improving organization skills by 70%

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Here are some specific IEP goals for improving social-emotional skills, problem-solving skills, and organization skills in students with NLD:

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Social-emotional skills

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• Goal: The student will improve social-emotional skills by 10% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will be able to identify and express their emotions in a healthy way, with 80% accuracy.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's social-emotional skills will be monitored monthly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Problem-solving skills

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• Goal: The student will improve problem-solving skills by 80% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will be able to solve multi-step problems accurately and efficiently, with 80% accuracy.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's problem-solving skills will be monitored bimonthly using a teacher-created assessment.

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Organization skills

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• Goal: The student will improve organization skills by 70% by the end of the school year.
• Objective: The student will be able to organize their materials and assignments effectively, with 70% accuracy.
• Progress Monitoring: The student's organization skills will be monitored quarterly using a teacher-created assessment.

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These are just a few examples, and it is important to tailor the goals to the individual needs of each student. When developing IEP goals, it is important to consider the student's strengths and weaknesses, their grade level and academic expectations, their social-emotional and behavioral needs, and their interests and goals.

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It is also important to involve the student and their parents in the IEP goal development process. The student and their parents should have a say in what goals are set and how the goals will be achieved.

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Here are some examples of specific activities and interventions that can be used to help students with NLD achieve their IEP goals in these areas:

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Social-emotional skills

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• Teach the student about social cues and body language.
• Help the student develop strategies for managing their emotions.
• Provide the student with opportunities to practice social skills in a safe and supportive environment.

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Problem-solving skills

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• Break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable steps.
• Teach the student problem-solving strategies, such as brainstorming, generating hypotheses, and testing solutions.
• Provide the student with opportunities to practice problem-solving skills in real-world situations.

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Organization skills

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• Teach the student organizational skills, such as time management, planning, and prioritizing.
• Help the student develop a system for organizing their materials and assignments.
• Provide the student with visual reminders and supports to help them stay organized.

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IEP goals for general areas of development:

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IEP goals can also be written for general areas of development, such as academics, behavior, communication, social-emotional skills, and self-determination.

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• Academics: Academic IEP goals could focus on reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. For example, an academic IEP goal for a student with dyslexia could be to increase reading comprehension of grade-level text by 80%.

• Behavior: Behavior IEP goals could focus on reducing disruptive behaviors, increasing compliance, and improving social skills. For example, a behavior IEP goal for a student with ADHD could be to reduce disruptive behaviors by 50%.

• Communication: Communication IEP goals could focus on improving verbal and nonverbal communication skills. For example, a communication IEP goal for a student with autism spectrum disorder could be to increase the number of verbal requests made per day.

• Social-emotional skills: Social-emotional IEP goals could focus on improving self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills. For example, a social-emotional IEP goal for a student with emotional and behavioral disorders could be to improve self-awareness of triggers for anger.

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• Self-determination: Self-determination IEP goals could focus on improving goal setting, problem-solving, decision-making, and self-advocacy skills. For example, a self-determination IEP goal for a student with intellectual disabilities could be to increase the number of independent choices made per day.

For more comprehensive goal banks, visit one or more of the blogs below:

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Back to School IEP Goal Bank: Crafting Effective Individualized Education Plans for the New Academic Year

IEP Goal Bank: 100 SMART IEP Goals for Content Areas for Special Education Teams

Dyslexia IEP Goals: A Complete Guide and Goal Bank

ADHD IEP Goals: A Complete Guide and Goal Bank

Speech-Language Pathology: A Complete Guide and Goal Bank

How to Create SMART Goals for Effective IEPs

How to Use This IEP Goal Bank

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This IEP goal bank is a resource for teachers and schools to use when developing IEP goals for students with learning disabilities. The goals in this bank are just a starting point, and it is important to tailor the goals to the individual needs of each student.

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When developing IEP goals, it is important to consider the following:

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• The student's strengths and weaknesses
• The student's grade level and academic expectations
• The student's social-emotional and behavioral needs
• The student's interests and goals

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It is also important to involve the student and their parents in the IEP goal development process. The student and their parents should have a say in what goals are set and how the goals will be achieved.

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By following these tips, you can develop effective IEP goals for students with learning disabilities.

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