Writing IEP Goals: 50+ Written Expression Goals and Objectives

If you’re looking for writing IEP goals, chances are you already know “improve writing” isn’t much of a goal. Writing is a big skill, and there are a lot of smaller skills that go into it.

For this list, I’m focusing on writing and written expression IEP goals, things like organizing ideas, writing sentences and paragraphs, developing a topic, research, editing and revising. I’ve also included examples of supporting objectives, because sometimes the smaller skill makes more sense as an objective than as an annual goal.

Below are examples of measurable IEP goals for writing and written expression. They can be adjusted for the student’s age, ability, baseline and specific area of need.

And yes, I have to say it, disclaimer: Don’t copy a goal from the internet and drop it into an IEP just because it sounds good. The goal has to match the student’s identified needs.

You’ll find edit and paste examples of measurable IEP goals for written expression, along with guidance on how to choose the right goal based on a student’s specific needs. Because not every writing struggle is the same and not every writing goal should be, either.

Writing IEP Goals and Objectives

Some of the examples below may work as annual IEP goals, while others may make more sense as short-term objectives or benchmarks that support a larger writing goal.

For example, if the annual goal is for a student to independently write an organized paragraph, identifying the main idea, adding supporting details and writing a concluding sentence may be the smaller skills needed to get there.

Whether a student has short-term objectives in the IEP will depend on the student and IEP requirements. But even when these skills aren’t formally written as objectives, breaking a larger writing goal into smaller skills can help the team figure out what needs to be taught, and where progress is getting stuck.

Written Expression IEP Goals

Written expression includes much more than writing an essay. It can include generating ideas, organizing information, developing sentences and paragraphs, choosing relevant details, revising work and communicating information clearly.

Here are writing IEP goal examples for several different areas of written expression.

Written Expression Goal + Pre-Writing Objectives

Annual Goal Example

By ___, given a writing assignment, Student will independently plan, organize and produce a written response that addresses the assigned topic and includes a clear main idea and relevant supporting information, earning ___ or higher on a writing rubric across ___ consecutive samples.

Possible Supporting Objectives

1. Student will identify the main topic of a writing assignment in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
2. Student will generate at least ___ relevant ideas or details related to the topic.
3. Student will organize ideas using an outline, graphic organizer, notes or another identified planning strategy.
4. Student will use the completed planning tool to begin and complete the assigned written response in ___ out of ___ opportunities.

Planning and Pre-Writing IEP Goals

1. Keyword Outlining: By ___, Student will independently create a keyword outline that includes a main topic and ___ supporting points in response to a writing assignment, as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy across ___ consecutive samples.
2. Selecting Organizational Strategies: By ___, Student will select and use an appropriate organizational strategy, such as an outline, graphic organizer, map or chart, for ___ writing tasks as measured by work samples with ___% accuracy.
3. Writing to Organize Thinking: By ___, Student will use tools such as diagrams, learning logs, journals, notes, outlines or summaries to organize information before writing in ___ as measured by work samples with ___% accuracy.
4. Writing to Record Learning: By ___, Student will use learning logs or journals to record new information in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
5. Classifying Information: By ___, Student will classify words, ideas or topics into an organizational structure before completing a writing task in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.

IEP Goals for Writing Sentences

1. Writing Related Sentences: By ___, Student will write sentences that connect related ideas while maintaining a clear topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
2. Writing Simple Sentences: By ___, Student will write ___ complete simple sentences containing a subject and predicate in response to ___ as measured across ___ consecutive writing samples with ___% accuracy.
3. Developing Sentences With Details: By ___, Student will expand a basic sentence by adding ___ relevant details in ___ out of ___ opportunities as measured by writing samples.
4. Sentence Conventions: By ___, Student will independently write complete sentences using appropriate capitalization and end punctuation in ___ out of ___ opportunities across ___ consecutive writing samples.

IEP Goal for Writing a Paragraph + Supporting Objectives

Annual Goal Example

By ___, given a writing prompt, Student will independently write a paragraph that includes a topic sentence, at least ___ relevant supporting details and a concluding sentence, earning ___ or higher on a writing rubric across ___ consecutive writing samples.

Possible Supporting Objectives

1. Given a writing prompt, Student will identify and write a clear main idea in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
2. Given a main idea, Student will generate at least ___ relevant supporting details in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
3. Using a graphic organizer, Student will organize a main idea and supporting details before beginning a paragraph in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
4. Student will write a concluding sentence that relates to the paragraph’s main idea in ___ out of ___ opportunities.

Paragraph Writing IEP Goal Ideas

1. Paragraph With Main Idea and Closing: By ___, Student will write a paragraph that includes a clearly stated main idea, at least ___ supporting details and a closing sentence in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
2. Topic-Related Paragraphs: By ___, Student will write paragraphs in which all sentences relate to the stated topic in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.
3. Organizing Paragraphs From a Prompt: By ___, Student will organize paragraphs when writing from a prompt or assigned topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
4. Using Paragraphs for Text Structure: By ___, Student will use paragraphs to organize a text according to its purpose, such as narrative, informational or opinion writing, in ___ as measured by a writing rubric with ___% accuracy.
5. Paragraph Writing and Editing: By ___, Student will write and edit a five-sentence paragraph containing a topic sentence, at least ___ supporting details and a concluding sentence, earning a score of ___ or higher on a writing rubric in ___% of assignments.
6. Writing Multi-Paragraph Passages: By ___, Student will write a multi-paragraph passage, such as a story or report, in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.

Multi-Paragraph Writing Goal + Supporting Objectives

Annual Goal Example

By ___, given a writing prompt and identified supports, Student will write an organized multi-paragraph composition that includes an introduction, ___ body paragraphs with relevant supporting details and a conclusion, earning ___ or higher on a writing rubric across ___ consecutive samples.

Possible Supporting Objectives

1. Student will use an outline or graphic organizer to plan the main idea and supporting information for each paragraph.
2. Student will organize information into an introduction, body and conclusion.
3. Student will use ___ appropriate transition words or phrases to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs.
4. Student will include at least ___ relevant details, examples or facts to support each main idea.
5. Student will independently review the completed composition using a writing checklist or rubric.

Multi-Paragraph and Essay Writing IEP Goals

1. Using an Outline or Story Map to Compose an Essay: By ___, Student will use an outline to write a composition containing ___ paragraphs of at least ___ sentences each, including an introduction and conclusion, as measured by a writing rubric with a score of ___ or higher in ___% of assignments.
2. Multi-Paragraph Topic Development: By ___, Student will develop a topic by writing a multi-paragraph passage using relevant details, examples and illustrations in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
3. Organizing Text With Clear Sections: By ___, Student will write an organized composition containing an introduction, body and conclusion with logical sequencing and transitional words in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
4. Writing Stories With Structure: By ___, Student will write a narrative with a clear beginning, middle and end in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
5. Using Transition Words in Stories: By ___, Student will organize narrative writing using appropriate transition words to connect events within a beginning, middle and end structure in ___ as measured by teacher scoring with ___% accuracy.
6. Organizing Writing by Structure: By ___, Student will organize writing for a specific audience and purpose using a chronological or logical sequence in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.

IEP Goals for Developing Ideas and Content

1. Writing Main Ideas: By ___, Student will write a clear main idea with ___ supporting details on a given topic in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
2. Focused Main Ideas: By ___, Student will write a clear, focused main idea with ___ relevant supporting details appropriate to the writing task in ___ as measured by a writing rubric with ___% accuracy.
3. Developing Main Ideas in Essays: By ___, Student will independently develop an essay response containing a well-developed main idea and at least ___ relevant supporting details in each paragraph as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.
4. Including Relevant Facts: By ___, Student will include ___ relevant facts and details to support a chosen topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
5. Using Appropriate Facts: By ___, Student will select and include facts and details that are appropriate to the chosen topic in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.
6. Writing for Audience and Purpose: By ___, Student will convey a clear, focused main idea with supporting details appropriate for a specified audience and purpose in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.

Research and Informational Writing IEP Goals

1. Researching With One Source: By ___, Student will research a topic using at least one appropriate resource and write to demonstrate understanding in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.
2. Researching With Multiple Sources: By ___, Student will research a topic using two or more credible resources and write to demonstrate understanding in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
3. Research Using Verifiable Sources: By ___, Student will use verifiable sources to research a topic and develop and support ideas in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.
4. Incorporating Research Into Writing: By ___, Student will gather and incorporate relevant information from credible sources to support a topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
5. Writing to Convey Understanding: By ___, Student will use information gathered through research to write a response demonstrating understanding of ___ as measured by a writing rubric with ___% accuracy.

IEP Goals for Fixing Writing Mistakes

Editing and revising are more complicated than just “fix your mistakes.” A student has to recognize an error or weakness, figure out what needs to change and then make the correction. Executive functioning can be part of this process too.

Editing and Revising Goal + Supporting Objectives

Annual Goal Example

By ___, after completing a written response, Student will independently revise and edit the work for organization, clarity and identified writing conventions using ___ support, earning ___ or higher on a writing rubric across ___ consecutive samples.

Possible Supporting Objectives

1. Student will identify and correct errors in capitalization and punctuation with ___% accuracy.
2. Student will add, delete or rearrange text when needed to improve clarity in ___ out of ___ writing samples.
3. Student will identify information that is unrelated to the main idea and remove or revise it in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
4. Student will use appropriate transition words or phrases to connect ideas in ___ out of ___ writing samples.
5. Student will revise sentences or paragraphs so ideas appear in a logical sequence in ___ out of ___ opportunities.

1. Revising by Adding or Deleting Text: By ___, Student will revise writing by adding or deleting text to improve clarity and content development in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
2. Improving Clarity Through Revision: By ___, Student will revise writing to improve clarity by rearranging sentences or adding relevant details in ___ as measured by writing samples with ___% accuracy.
3. Revising for Clarity and Effectiveness: By ___, Student will revise writing by adding relevant details and changing or rearranging text to improve clarity and effectiveness in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
4. Editing to Form Paragraphs: By ___, Student will edit writing to organize related sentences into paragraphs in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___% accuracy.
5. Using Transitional Words and Phrases: By ___, Student will revise writing to include transitional words and phrases that connect ideas across sentences and paragraphs in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___% accuracy.
6. Revising for Logical Sequence: By ___, Student will revise writing so ideas follow an appropriate sequence, such as beginning-middle-end, chronological order or cause and effect, in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
7. Revising for Logical Order: By ___, Student will revise writing so details, ideas, sentences and paragraphs appear in an order that makes sense in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___% accuracy.
8. Editing for Conventions: By ___, Student will edit writing for spelling, punctuation, capitalization and grammar, producing fewer than ___ errors per ___ words across ___ consecutive samples.

Functional Writing IEP Goals

Functional writing can be especially important for students who need writing skills they can use in daily life, school, employment and the community.

1. Writing Personal Information: By ___, Student will accurately write requested personal information, such as name, address, phone number or other identified information, in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
2. Completing Written Forms: By ___, Student will complete a familiar written form containing ___ required pieces of information with ___% accuracy across ___ consecutive opportunities.
3. Writing Messages: By ___, Student will compose a brief written message containing the necessary information for a specified purpose in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
4. Writing Functional Lists: By ___, Student will independently create a written list containing ___ relevant items for a specified task or activity in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
5. Written Communication: By ___, Student will compose an appropriate written communication, such as an email, note or message, that includes ___ required components in ___ out of ___ opportunities.

Written Expression Goals Using Assistive Technology

Sometimes the barrier isn’t generating ideas. It’s getting those ideas onto the page.

If assistive technology removes that barrier, it can be incorporated into the student’s writing goals and accommodations.

1. Voice-to-Text for Written Expression: By ___, Student will independently develop ideas and compose a structured written response using ___ voice-to-text software in ___ as measured by teacher scoring with ___% accuracy.
2. Graphic Organizer for Written Expression: Given a graphic organizer, Student will organize ___ ideas and use the completed organizer to produce ___ in ___ out of ___ opportunities.
3. Supported Written Response: Using the student’s identified assistive technology or writing support, Student will produce a written response containing ___ required components in ___ out of ___ opportunities.

Writing Proficiency IEP Goal

You’ll sometimes see one big goal intended to cover everything:

1. By ___, Student will increase writing proficiency to ___ in the areas of Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Conventions as measured by ___.

I’m not a huge fan of this as a stand-alone goal.

If a student struggles with three different parts of writing, lumping all of them into one giant “improve writing” goal doesn’t magically make the goal better. It usually makes it harder to determine what is actually improving.

Identify the skill that needs instruction and measure that.

Choosing the Right Writing IEP Goal

You don’t need a dissertation on Present Levels before you can look at examples of IEP goals. But you do need to know what the student can currently do and what specific writing skill is causing difficulty.

If the student writes complete sentences but cannot organize them into a paragraph, the goal should address paragraph organization. If the student has great ideas but struggles to physically produce written work, another paragraph-writing goal isn’t going to solve that problem.

The examples above are starting points. Change the criteria, conditions, supports and measurement to fit the individual student. The IEP goal should come from the student’s needs and baseline—not the other way around.

And if you need help figuring out the baseline, that’s what my separate guide to IEP Present Levels is for.

PDF List of Writing and Written Expression IEP Goals

If you’d rather have these writing IEP goals in one place instead of opening this post every time you have an IEP meeting, you can download the printable list of written expression IEP goals here.

Writing isn’t one skill, so “improve writing” isn’t a particularly useful IEP goal.

Look at what is actually difficult for the student: generating ideas, organizing information, writing sentences or paragraphs, researching, editing, revising, or getting their thoughts onto the page. Then choose a measurable goal that addresses that specific need.

The goal examples here are meant to give you ideas, not replace individualized decision-making by the IEP team. Adjust them to match the student’s baseline, supports and instructional needs.

And if you need goals in another area, head over to the ADayInOurShoes IEP Goal Bank. There are thousands more there.