42 Decoding IEP Goals

 This article is designed to be utilized with the utmost professional integrity and ethical consideration. It is imperative to acknowledge that directly copying and pasting example goals into student’s IEPs from any external source, including ours, undermines the individualized nature of IEP planning and does not serve the best interests of students.

This resource aims to inspire the development of IEP goals that address the needs of students, not a substitute for the detailed, student-centered IEP goal-setting process. Educators and IEP teams are urged to use this as a tool for ideation, basing final goals on student assessments and collaborative IEP team insights.

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Wondering what the importance of writing strong decoding IEP goals might be?

Just imagine, for a moment, that you’re a teacher working with a student who keeps stumbling through multisyllabic words like “evidence” or “contribute.”

The student knows the meaning of the words, but reading them aloud? That’s a whole different story.

This issue often stems from decoding challenges. While it might seem like decoding is something students should master early on in their literacy, while still in elementary school, the reality is that struggles with decoding often follow students long into adulthood.

Decoding, in a nutshell, is the ability to apply letter-sound knowledge when reading words. Think of it as cracking the code on written text so the brain can work its magic to turn symbols into sounds, then words, then meaning. The ability to decode is absolutely essential for success as a reader.

Knowing how to write reading decoding IEP goals, then, is incredibly important. Here’s how to do it, with some helpful decoding IEP goals examples.

Click here to jump down to the IEP goals.

What is Decoding?

Decoding, simply put, is the ability to correctly and fluently sound out written words. It’s that magical combination of phonics skills and the recognition of written symbols that allows us to turn letters into sounds and sounds into words.

Don’t confuse this with reading comprehension, which focuses on understanding the meaning of the text. Decoding goals for IEP plans is all about breaking down the “how” of reading.

For most students, there’s something satisfying about realizing they can sound out their first word. But for those with learning disabilities like dyslexia or auditory processing disorders, decoding can feel more like deciphering hieroglyphics. Their brains often struggle with phonemic awareness or associating letters with correct sounds, making the whole process an uphill climb.

To understand why decoding is so significant, think of it as the foundation of a house. Without a solid base, everything else—reading fluency, comprehension, love of literature—crumbles.

Kids who face decoding struggles may also find it hard to tackle other parts of reading, like understanding a story or writing their thoughts coherently. That’s why IEP goals for decoding are so specific and detailed—they need to target the skills that unlock the ability to read.

What Are Examples of Decoding?

Decoding goals in an IEP depend on a student’s specific needs, but they all circle back to helping students effectively break down and read words.

For a student struggling to identify sounds in some words, a sample goal might look like this:

• “By the end of the school year, Jamie will accurately produce the initial and final sounds of one-syllable words with 90% accuracy over three consecutive assessments.”

Another one might focus on blending sounds more effectively:

• “By March, Sarah will correctly blend individual phonemes to read one-syllable words in isolation with 8 out of 10 trials correct.”

And because decoding isn’t just about short words, some students may need goals targeting multi-syllabic words:

• “By the end of the year, Alex will decode two- and three-syllable words using knowledge of common syllable types in 4 out of 5 opportunities.”

It’s all about finessing the building blocks of reading depending on where your student needs the most support. Each goal is tailored to help students gradually strengthen their decoding skills and move toward fluency.

Why is Decoding Important?

So why does decoding matter so much? If decoding is poorly developed, students can’t access the full potential of text. They might spend so much mental energy trying to sound out each word that they lose track of the sentence’s meaning—or give up entirely.

Decoding also gives students a sense of confidence and independence. Imagine the glow on their faces when they realize they can pick up a book and actually read it. They gain the foothold they need to build fluency, tackle comprehension, and develop stronger writing skills.

For students with disabilities, decoding success has ripple effects across all their education. It’s not just about literacy—it’s about accessing information across subjects. A student who can decode a science textbook or history assignment with ease is going to absorb more knowledge and feel more empowered.

Unfortunately, about 23% of struggling readers will never complete high school on time (if at all), underscoring the importance of learning how to decode as soon as possible.

42 Decoding IEP Goals

Phonemic Awareness Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, when given spoken words, [Student Name] will identify the initial, medial, and final phonemes with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials in small-group practice as measured by teacher data collection.
2. By the end of the IEP period, when given a set of words, [Student Name] will blend individual phonemes to form words with 90% accuracy during 3 consecutive instructional sessions as measured by teacher records.
3. By the end of the IEP period, when prompted, [Student Name] will segment spoken words into individual phonemes with 85% accuracy in 3 out of 5 trials as measured by teacher observation.
4. By the end of the IEP period, when provided a list of words, [Student Name] will recognize rhyming words with 90% accuracy across 4 out of 5 activities as measured by curriculum-based assessments.
5. By the end of the IEP period, when engaged in sound-manipulation tasks, [Student Name] will substitute individual phonemes to create new words with 80% accuracy during 5 instructional sessions as measured by data sheets.
6. By the end of the IEP period, when presented with spoken words, [Student Name] will identify initial, medial, and final phonemes with 85% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials as measured by teacher charting.
7. By the end of the IEP period, when provided verbal phonemes, [Student Name] will blend sounds to form a word with 90% accuracy during 3 consecutive sessions as measured by teacher logs.
8. By the end of the IEP period, when given one-syllable words, [Student Name] will isolate specified phonemes with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 trials as measured by teacher data.
9. By the end of the IEP period, when asked, [Student Name] will identify non-rhyming words within a set with 85% accuracy in 5 out of 6 activities as measured by work samples.
10. By the end of the IEP period, when manipulating sounds, [Student Name] will add or delete phonemes in spoken words to create new words with 80% accuracy across 4 out of 5 trials as measured by teacher checklists.

Phonics Skills IEP Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, when provided VCe-patterned words, [Student Name] will decode them with 85% accuracy during 5 consecutive classroom sessions as measured by decoding probes.
2. By the end of the IEP period, when reading words containing consonant blends and digraphs, [Student Name] will decode 10 new words per week with 80% accuracy during monitored reading activities as measured by weekly logs.
3. By the end of the IEP period, when presented teacher-selected words, [Student Name] will decode short- and long-vowel words with 85% accuracy across 3 assessment trials as measured by curriculum tests.

Sight Word Recognition IEP Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, when shown a list of high-frequency words, [Student Name] will correctly read 15 new words with 80% accuracy within 4 weeks as measured by sight-word inventories.
2. By the end of the IEP period, when presented sentences containing sight words, [Student Name] will read them fluently with 90% accuracy in 3 out of 5 attempts as measured by running records.
3. By the end of the IEP period, when accessing a word wall, [Student Name] will identify and pronounce 10 targeted sight words with 85% accuracy over 3 attempts in one week as measured by teacher tallies.
4. By the end of the IEP period, during a one-minute timed reading, [Student Name] will read 25 sight words correctly with 90% accuracy over 3 trials as measured by fluency charts.

Want to learn more about working memory? We’ve got your back!

Decoding Fluency Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, when given a list of decodable words, [Student Name] will correctly read 20 words per minute with 85% accuracy during 4 consecutive fluency trials as measured by teacher records.
2. By the end of the IEP period, during timed reading sessions, [Student Name] will read 50 words fluently per minute after 8 weeks of intervention as measured by curriculum-based fluency measures.
3. By the end of the IEP period, during classroom reading, [Student Name] will pronounce single-syllable words with 95% accuracy across 3 trials as measured by teacher scoring.

Letter Recognition Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, when shown uppercase letter flashcards, [Student Name] will name all letters with 90% accuracy over 4 consecutive sessions as measured by teacher checklists.
2. By the end of the IEP period, when presented lowercase letters, [Student Name] will identify them with 85% accuracy across 3 opportunities in a month as measured by informal probes.
3. By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will match uppercase to lowercase letter pairs with 95% accuracy in 5 trials within a grading period as measured by teacher data.
4. By the end of the IEP period, when asked to name letters in sequence, [Student Name] will recognize and name letters A–G with 85% accuracy in 3 out of 4 trials over 10 weeks as measured by teacher observation.

IEP Goals for Decoding Multisyllabic Words

1. By the end of the IEP period, when given multisyllabic words, [Student Name] will break them into syllables and decode them with 80% accuracy during 4 monitored trials as measured by work samples.
2. By the end of the IEP period, when using chunking strategies, [Student Name] will decode multisyllabic words with 85% accuracy across 3 weekly classroom exercises as measured by teacher logs.
3. By the end of the IEP period, when presented novel multisyllabic words, [Student Name] will accurately pronounce 12 of 15 words over 5 trials as measured by oral-reading rubrics.
4. By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will identify and apply correct stress patterns in multisyllabic words, pronouncing them accurately in 90% of opportunities across 3 monitored sessions as measured by teacher checklists.

Word Attack Skills Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, when encountering unfamiliar words, [Student Name] will identify prefixes, suffixes, and root words with 90% accuracy during 3 out of 5 literacy sessions as measured by worksheets.
2. By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will use context clues to decode 10 of 12 unfamiliar words over 6 trials during independent reading as measured by teacher anecdotal records.
3. By the end of the IEP period, when given 2–3 syllable words, [Student Name] will apply common word patterns to decode with 80% accuracy in 3 out of 5 instances over 6 weeks as measured by work samples.
4. By the end of the IEP period, when presented compound words, [Student Name] will separate and pronounce each component with 85% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities during small-group instruction as measured by teacher charts.
5. By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will recognize and pronounce high-frequency irregular words with 90% accuracy during individual reading across 4 out of 6 sessions as measured by running records.
6. By the end of the IEP period, when studying common affixes, [Student Name] will explain meanings of prefixes and suffixes with 80% accuracy during 3 out of 5 literacy activities over 4 weeks as measured by exit tickets.
7. By the end of the IEP period, when practicing pseudo-words, [Student Name] will decode non-words using phonetic strategies with 85% accuracy in 4 out of 6 sessions over 3 weeks as measured by teacher data.

Other Decoding IEP Goals

1. By the end of the IEP period, given text-to-speech tools, [Student Name] will accurately follow along with digital text with 90% accuracy during 3 out of 5 trials as measured by teacher observation.
2. By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will use speech-to-text software to decode 15 assigned words with 85% accuracy over 2 monitored attempts as measured by software reports.
3. By the end of the IEP period, when provided unfamiliar words, [Student Name] will decode 20 words using phonetic strategies with 85% accuracy during 4 out of 5 sessions as measured by teacher logs.
4. By the end of the IEP period, given visual aids, [Student Name] will segment and blend multisyllabic words with 90% accuracy across 3 consecutive trials as measured by teacher data sheets.
5. By the end of the IEP period, when reading a passage, [Student Name] will decode 10 unfamiliar meaning-related words using context clues with 80% accuracy across 3 trials as measured by comprehension checks.
6. By the end of the IEP period, [Student Name] will apply prefix and suffix recognition to decode 12 words with 85% consistency during 3 consecutive lessons as measured by teacher records.
7. By the end of the IEP period, after explicit instruction in vowel and consonant patterns, [Student Name] will decode and read aloud 15 targeted words with 90% accuracy over 3 weekly tasks as measured by decoding probes.

Here are more reading fluency IEP goals to help set your young reader up for success.

How Do You Write an IEP Goal for Decoding?

If you’re still not sure how to get started, here’s a formula you can use to write your goal, with an explanation on why and how it works:

“When given [instruction or task, etc.], the student will [demonstrate skill or behavior, etc.] with __% accuracy in __ out of __ trials [within a given time period].”

As you write your goals, follow these steps:

First, set the context. What task will the student be given? Be specific—mention whether it’s phonemic awareness exercises, timed word lists, or decodable texts.

Then, define the goal. Use measurable language. Rather than a vague description like “will improve with practice,” define specific actions and outcomes.

Be sure to quantify success. Include a percentage for accuracy and define what constitutes success (e.g., “85% accuracy in 4 out of 5 attempts”).

Finally, include a timeline. Be specific on when you’d like to see results. Typical options are over a month, grading period, or series of sessions.

5 Evidence-Based Tips for Teaching Decoding

As you write (and start to pursue) decoding IEP goals, here are some tips to make sure you hit the mark:

1. Use Explicit and Systematic Phonics Instruction

Research confirms that explicit phonics instruction is a game-changer for decoding skills. Teach students the relationships between letters and sounds step-by-step, in a logical order.

Start with simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, and gradually introduce more complex patterns. Structured programs like Wilson Reading System or Orton-Gillingham are highly effective here.

2. Focus on Decoding Multisyllabic Words

Many students with decoding challenges hit a wall when it comes to larger words. To tackle this, teach chunking strategies that break multisyllabic words into manageable parts and help develop fluency.

For example, have students clap out syllables or underline prefixes, suffixes, and root words. These techniques have been shown to enhance word recognition and reading fluency for young learners.

3. Integrate Decoding Practice Into Real Reading Tasks

While worksheets and drills have their place, students also need to practice decoding in meaningful contexts. Use decodable texts—books that are specifically designed to match a student’s phonics level.

These texts give students the opportunity to apply their skills in reading whole sentences and paragraphs. This balance between isolated practice and contextual learning reinforces decoding mastery.

4. Provide Frequent and Immediate Feedback

Feedback is your secret weapon when teaching decoding.

When a student misreads a word, don’t just supply the correction. Instead, guide them to self-correct by asking questions like, “What sound does this letter make?” or “Does that word look right?”

There is a significant value of immediate, constructive feedback in helping students internalize decoding strategies.

5. Engage in Multisensory Learning Activities

Decoding is not just a cognitive task—it’s also a multi-sensory experience. Incorporate activities such as skywriting letters, using magnetic letters, or tapping out phonemes on a desk.

These methods engage multiple senses, which can reinforce learning and make decoding more hands-on and engaging.

Data Tracking Methods for Decoding

Now, let’s talk about data. How do you track something as skill-specific as decoding?

Here are a few suggestions of methods you can use:

• Running records. These are classics for a reason. Students read aloud while you record their errors, track self-corrections, and measure accuracy rates. It’s like a fitness tracker but for literacy.
• Word lists. Give students multisyllabic word lists (cue some pre-created flashcards) and track how many they tackle correctly. Pro tip: Pair new words with visuals for added support.
• Timed reading fluency sessions. Put the stopwatch to work! Count the correct words a student decodes in a set amount of time. Measurements like words-correct-per-minute reveal improvements.
• Decoding error analysis. Take on that detective role and analyze where breakdowns occur. Is it skipping vowel patterns? Struggling with blends? These specifics help you better target instruction.
• Visual graphs. Chart their progress weekly or monthly to make those hard-earned gains more visible. Students love seeing a line going up (and it boosts their confidence).

Remember, no matter which methods you use, consistency is key. Regular data points tell the full decoding story—and students benefit when you zero in on those tricky spots.

Measuring Progress for Decoding

Decoding progress isn’t something you’ll notice overnight. But with strategic measuring, you can see those “aha” moments that eventually snowball into fluent reading success. Want to know how you can keep a close eye on your students’ progress without obsessing over your spreadsheets?

First, make sure you’re setting clear, measurable goals. The more specific the goal, the easier it is to track. Instead of a general “decode better,” aim for something like, “decode three-syllable words with 80% accuracy in four out of five attempts.”

Remember that smaller milestones lead the way to larger IEP achievements. For example, focus on decoding closed syllables this month, and open syllables next month. One step at a time.

Provide your students with frequent checkpoints. Weekly assessments (quick ones!) keep you and the student on the same page. Plus, regular feedback helps keep progress momentum alive.

Don’t forget to celebrate small wins! Decoding a tricky word? That’s a win. Remembering a rule for vowel teams? Another win. Progress stacks up faster when these small victories are recognized.

Keep the measuring process simple and consistent, and you’ll save yourself the logistical headache and have solid data to encourage and leverage further learning.

Final Thoughts

By creating clear, measurable goals tailored to a student’s unique needs and supporting them with targeted instruction, you set up your students to thrive as they learn how to read.

Helping students learn to read is an effort worth celebrating. Use these tips and sample decoding IEP goals to help you craft meaningful, measurable goals, and you’ll be well on your way to instilling lifelong literary success.

FAQ

What is an example of an IEP goal for decoding?

A sample decoding IEP goal could look like this: “By the end of the semester, [Student] will correctly decode 12 out of 15 regularly spelled multisyllabic words (e.g., hospital, fantastic) across three separate assessments with 90% accuracy.”

What is an example of decoding?

Decoding is when a student sounds out a word by identifying the letters and their corresponding sounds (phonics). For instance, reading the word “fantastic” involves breaking it down into chunks like “fan-tas-tic” and blending them together.

What are the objectives of decoding words?

The main objectives are to help students recognize patterns, apply phonics rules, and read unfamiliar words accurately. These skills pave the way for improved fluency, comprehension, and overall literacy.

What is the goal of decoding?

The ultimate goal of decoding is to enable students to read effortlessly, turning written words into meaningful sounds and comprehension. Think of it as the bridge between recognizing letters and truly understanding what’s being read.

Further Reading

• Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: High School Graduation
• Sippl, Amy: Executive Functioning Skills 101: Working Memory
• Pierce, Rebekah: 39 Reading Fluency IEP Goals
• What Works Clearinghouse: WWC | Wilson Reading System®
• Touro University: Putting the Science of Reading into Action: Five Ways to Help Struggling Readers
• Lorimor-Easley, Nina A.: The Role of Decodable Readers in Phonics Instruction