53 Measurable IEP Goals and Objectives for Writing and Written Expression

Parents can certainly assist the IEP team with developing goals. One IEP area that I find parents and teachers struggle with is addressing the skill of writing. And by writing, I’m talking about content, not fine-motor handwriting skills.

If your child struggles with handwriting, I would read this post on dysgraphia or ask for an OT evaluation.

I have a large IEP Goal Bank that lists and links out to thousands of IEP goals. So if you cannot find what you are looking for here, I suggest you check there.

IEP Goals for Writing

For this post, the IEP goals for writing will focus on writing as far as developing content, writing fluency, and written expression.

Written Expression IEP Goals

What’s great about many IEP goals is that you can change the details of the IEP goal to suit any age, grade, or ability. This list of IEP writing goals examples can be edited for any writing ability.

1. Keyword Outlining: By ___, Student will independently create a keyword outline with the main topic and ___ supporting points in response to a writing assignment as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
2. Using Keyword Outlines to Compose Essays: By ___, Student will use the keyword outline process to write a composition containing ___ paragraphs of at least ___ sentences each, including an introduction and conclusion, with ___ supporting points in ___ separate paragraphs in all content areas as measured by a writing rubric with ___ accuracy.
3. Idea Development with Voice-to-Text: By ___, Student will independently develop ideas for assigned essays and create five-paragraph essays with proper structure using ___ voice-to-text software in all class subjects as measured by teacher scoring with ___ accuracy.
4. Paragraph Writing and Editing: By ___, Student will write and edit a five-sentence paragraph including a topic sentence, at least ___ details, and a concluding sentence in the general curriculum as measured by a writing rubric with a score of ___ or higher in ___% of assignments.
5. Developing Main Ideas in Essays: By ___, Student will independently develop ideas fully for essay assignments by writing passages with well-developed main ideas and at least ___ details in each paragraph in all content areas as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
6. Editing for Conventions: By ___, Student will edit writing for spelling, punctuation, and grammar, producing fewer than ___ overlooked errors per ___ words across settings as measured by teacher analysis with ___ accuracy.
7. Writing Proficiency Growth (Version 1): By ___, Student will increase writing skills to ___ (grade/proficiency level) in the areas of Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions as measured by State Scoring Guide, writing sample analysis, diagnostic survey, and spelling inventory with ___ accuracy.
8. Writing Proficiency Growth (Version 2): By ___, Student will increase writing skills to ___ (grade/proficiency level) in the areas of Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions as measured by State Scoring Guide, writing sample analysis, diagnostic survey, and spelling inventory with ___ accuracy.
9. Writing Proficiency Growth (Version 3): By ___, Student will increase writing skills to ___ (grade/proficiency level) in the areas of Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions as measured by State Scoring Guide, writing sample analysis, diagnostic survey, and spelling inventory with ___ accuracy.

IEP Goal for Writing- Research and Concept

Some of these may be better suited to be used as objectives.

1. Writing Main Ideas: By ___, Student will write a clear main idea with ___ supporting details on a given topic as measured by teacher rubric with ___ accuracy.
2. Researching With One Source: By ___, Student will research a topic using at least one resource and write to convey understanding in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
3. Focused Main Ideas: By ___, Student will write clear, focused main ideas with ___ supporting details on a topic in ___ as measured by a writing rubric with ___ accuracy.
4. Multi-Paragraph Writing: By ___, Student will develop a topic by writing a multi-paragraph passage using details, examples, and illustrations in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
5. Revising for Main Idea Development: By ___, Student will revise writing to strengthen development of the main idea with ___ supporting details in ___ as measured by writing samples with ___ accuracy.
6. Research Using Verifiable Sources: By ___, Student will research a topic using verifiable sources to develop and support ideas in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
7. Researching With Multiple Sources: By ___, Student will research a topic using two or more resources and write to convey thorough understanding in ___ as measured by a rubric with ___ accuracy.
8. Including Relevant Facts: By ___, Student will include ___ relevant facts and details on a chosen topic in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
9. Main Ideas for Varied Audiences: By ___, Student will convey clear, focused main ideas and supporting details on a topic for various audiences and purposes in ___ as measured by writing rubric with ___ accuracy.
10. Using Appropriate Facts: By ___, Student will include appropriate facts and details on a chosen topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
11. Writing to Record Learning: By ___, Student will use writing to generate learning logs and journals to record new information in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
12. Using Writing Tools for Organization: By ___, Student will use writing to generate diagrams, learning logs, journals, notes, outlines, and summaries in ___ as measured by work samples with ___ accuracy.
13. Writing Main Ideas (Duplicate 1): By ___, Student will write a main idea with ___ supporting details on a topic in ___ as measured by rubric with ___ accuracy.
14. Researching With One Source (Duplicate 2): By ___, Student will research a topic using at least one resource and write to convey understanding in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
15. Focused Main Ideas (Duplicate 3): By ___, Student will write clear, focused main ideas with ___ supporting details on a topic in ___ as measured by writing rubric with ___ accuracy.

Writing Goals for IEP: Structure

There’s some overlap here with the above list.

1. Multi-Paragraph Topic Development: By ___, Student will write a multi-paragraph passage using details, examples, and illustrations in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
2. Revising for Main Idea Development: By ___, Student will revise writing to improve development of the main idea with ___ supporting details in ___ as measured by writing samples with ___ accuracy.
3. Research With Verifiable Sources: By ___, Student will research a topic using verifiable sources to develop and support ideas in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
4. Researching With Multiple Resources: By ___, Student will research and write to convey thorough understanding of a topic using two or more resources in ___ as measured by a writing rubric with ___ accuracy.
5. Including Relevant Facts: By ___, Student will include ___ relevant facts and details on a chosen topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
6. Writing for Audience and Purpose: By ___, Student will convey clear, focused main ideas and supporting details on a topic for various audiences and purposes in ___ as measured by rubric with ___ accuracy.
7. Using Appropriate Facts: By ___, Student will include appropriate facts and details on a chosen topic in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
8. Writing to Record New Information: By ___, Student will use writing to generate learning logs and journals to record new information in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
9. Writing to Organize Thinking: By ___, Student will use writing to generate diagrams, learning logs, journals, notes, outlines, and summaries in ___ as measured by work samples with ___ accuracy.
10. Organizing Writing by Structure: By ___, Student will organize writing to address the audience and purpose using chronological or logical sequences in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
11. Writing Related Sentences: By ___, Student will write a sentence that connects related ideas while maintaining a clear topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
12. Research to Support a Topic (Duplicate): By ___, Student will research a topic using verifiable sources to develop and support ideas in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
13. Writing Stories With Structure: By ___, Student will write stories with a beginning, middle, and end in ___ as measured by rubric with ___ accuracy.
14. Using Transition Words in Stories: By ___, Student will demonstrate organization in narrative writing by developing a beginning, middle, and ending using transition words in ___ as measured by teacher scoring with ___ accuracy.
15. Organizing Text With Clear Sections: By ___, Student will demonstrate organization by developing an introduction, body, and conclusion with clear sequencing and transitional words in ___ as measured by rubric with ___ accuracy.
16. Selecting Organizational Strategies: By ___, Student will select and use appropriate organizational strategies (e.g., outlining, identifying/supporting topics, using maps and charts) in ___ as measured by work samples with ___ accuracy.

IEP Writing Goals: Paragraphs

1. Organizing Paragraphs from a Prompt: By ___, Student will organize paragraphs when writing from a prompt or on a topic in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
2. Using Paragraphs for Text Structure: By ___, Student will use paragraphs to organize structure within the text for the specific purpose of the content in ___ as measured by a writing rubric with ___ accuracy.
3. Writing Topic-Related Paragraphs: By ___, Student will write paragraphs in which all sentences are related to the topic in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
4. Writing Paragraphs with Main Idea and Closing: By ___, Student will write paragraphs that include a stated main idea and a closing sentence in ___ as measured by rubric scoring with ___ accuracy.
5. Writing Multi-Paragraph Passages: By ___, Student will write multi-paragraph passages (e.g., stories, reports) in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.

Written Expression Goals: Editing and Correcting

Being able to critique your own work, edit it, and make the appropriate corrections is an advanced executive functioning skill. If a student is struggling with this, it may not be the “writing” per se that is the issue, but they may need practice and instruction in how to improve executive function skills.

1. Revising by Adding or Deleting Text: By ___, Student will revise writing by adding or deleting text in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
2. Improving Clarity Through Revision: By ___, Student will change text to improve clarity in ___ as measured by writing samples with ___ accuracy.
3. Revising for Clarity and Effectiveness: By ___, Student will revise writing to improve clarity and effectiveness by adding relevant details and changing or rearranging text in ___ as measured by rubric with ___ accuracy.
4. Editing to Form Paragraphs: By ___, Student will edit writing to organize sentences into paragraphs in ___ as measured by teacher evaluation with ___ accuracy.
5. Using Transitional Words and Phrases: By ___, Student will edit writing to use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas in sentences and paragraphs in ___ as measured by writing samples with ___ accuracy.
6. Revising for Logical Sequence: By ___, Student will revise writing so it follows a sequence (e.g., beginning, middle, end) in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.
7. Revising for Logical Order: By ___, Student will revise writing so the paper has an order that makes sense, including details, ideas, sentences, time sequence, and paragraphs in ___ as measured by rubric with ___ accuracy.
8. Classifying Words and Topics: By ___, Student will classify words and topics into an organizational scheme in ___ as measured by teacher review with ___ accuracy.

Printable List of Written Expression IEP Goals

If you wish to print this list to have, here you go.

Writing IEP Goals

Note that you can add accommodations, or any accommodation, to the beginning of each goal.

For example:

• Using a graphic organizer, the student will [rest of goal]
• Working with the student’s assigned reading specialist/para, [rest of goal]

You can also add phrases such as “working independently” to define the goal further.

Good luck and check out our IEP goal bank if you need more ideas.