Reading Fluency, Phonics, and Decoding Goals

Browse CCS aligned IEP goals for phonics, decoding, and fluency for 1st to 5th grades-- with modification ideas!

Sight Words Goals

Phonemic Awareness & Letter Goals

Story Elements & Retell Goals

Main Idea & Summary Goals

Making Inferences IEP Goals

IEP Goals for Decoding and Fluency

If you squint at it sideways, there is one Common Core standard from first grade to fifth grade that can work for both reading fluency goals and decoding goals.

Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.4b

  • A DRA or similar grade-level reading assessment gives you information on a student’s accuracy in reading. If you want to use it to assess for this standard, make sure to include a timed-reading element to the assessment and to take notes on intonation (mostly– do they stop at periods?  does their voice go up for quotations?). Read Naturally or Six Minute Solution passages can also provide a good baseline for this goal.

Need more ideas? Check out the PreK-2 Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page,

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can read a kindergarten level text (DRA 6) with 80% accuracy. She attends to punctuation while reading aloud, pausing at periods and commas. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  •  __________ will read a late first grade (DRA 18 or equivalent) text orally with 95%  accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.4b

You can modify the target reading level, the percentage accuracy, and the fluency with which students read. I typically write my goals for about 1.5 years growth from where the kid is right now. I will write the goal for less if they haven’t been progressing and more if they are moving up levels quickly. Note that fluency targets vary by grade level– Reading A to Z has helpful charts for setting fluency targets.

  • Changing the target reading level
    • __________ will read an early first grade (DRA 14or equivalent) text orally with 95%  accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.4b
  • Changing the accuracy target
    • __________ will read a late first grade (DRA 18 or equivalent) text orally with 90% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.4b
  • Changing the fluency target
    • __________ will read a late first grade (DRA 18 or equivalent) text orally with 95% accuracy at 50 words per minute as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.4b

Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4b

  • A DRA or similar grade-level reading assessment gives you information on a student’s accuracy in reading. If you want to use it to assess for this standard, make sure to include a timed-reading element to the assessment and to take notes on intonation (mostly– do they stop at periods?  does their voice go up for quotations?). Read Naturally or Six Minute Solution passages can also provide a good baseline for this goal.

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page  or the PreK-2 Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page,

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can read a mid-first grade level text (DRA 16) with 80% accuracy. She attends to punctuation while reading aloud, pausing at periods and commas. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • _____ will read a late second grade (DRA 28 or equivalent) text orally with 95% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4b

You can modify the target reading level, the percentage accuracy, and the fluency with which students read. I typically write my goals for about 1.5 years growth from where the kid is right now. I will write the goal for less if they haven’t been progressing and more if they are moving up levels quickly. Note that fluency targets vary by grade level– Reading A to Z has helpful charts for setting fluency targets.

  • Changing the target reading level
    • __________ will read an early second grade (DRA 20 or equivalent) text orally with 95%  accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4b
  • Changing the accuracy target
    • __________ will read a late second grade (DRA 28 or equivalent) text orally with 90% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4b
  • Changing the fluency target
    • __________ will read a late second grade (DRA 28 or equivalent) text orally with 95% accuracy at 60 words per minute as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.4b

Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b

  • A DRA or similar grade-level reading assessment gives you information on a student’s accuracy in reading. If you want to use it to assess for this standard, make sure to include a timed-reading element to the assessment and to take notes on intonation (mostly– do they stop at periods?  does their voice go up for quotations?). Read Naturally or Six Minute Solution passages can also provide a good baseline for this goal.

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can read a mid-second grade level text (DRA 26) with 80% accuracy. She attends to punctuation while reading aloud, pausing at periods and commas. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • ________ will read late 3rd grade prose (DRA 38 or equivalent) orally with 95% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b

You can modify the target reading level, the percentage accuracy, and the fluency with which students read. I typically write my goals for about 1.5 years growth from where the kid is right now. I will write the goal for less if they haven’t been progressing and more if they are moving up levels quickly. Note that fluency targets vary by grade level– Reading A to Z has helpful charts for setting fluency targets.

  • Changing the target reading level
    • __________ will read an early third grade (DRA 30 or equivalent) text orally with 95%  accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b
  • Changing the accuracy target
    • __________ will read a late third grade (DRA 38 or equivalent) text orally with 90% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b
  • Changing the fluency target
    • __________ will read a late third grade (DRA 38 or equivalent) text orally with 95% accuracy at 70 words per minute as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b

Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4b

  • A DRA or similar grade-level reading assessment gives you information on a student’s accuracy in reading. If you want to use it to assess for this standard, make sure to include a timed-reading element to the assessment and to take notes on intonation (mostly– do they stop at periods?  does their voice go up for quotations?). Read Naturally or Six Minute Solution passages can also provide a good baseline for this goal.

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can read an early third level text (DRA 30) with 80% accuracy at 70 words per minute. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • _______ will read early fourth grade prose (DRA 40 or equivalent) orally with 95% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4b

You can modify the target reading level, the percentage accuracy, and the fluency with which students read. I typically write my goals for about 1.5 years growth from where the kid is right now. I will write the goal for less if they haven’t been progressing and more if they are moving up levels quickly. Note that fluency targets vary by grade level– Reading A to Z has helpful charts for setting fluency targets.

  • Changing the target reading level
    • __________ will read an early third grade (DRA 30 or equivalent) text orally with 95%  accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4b
  • Changing the accuracy target
    • __________ will read a late third grade (DRA 38 or equivalent) text orally with 90% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4b
  • Changing the fluency target
    • __________ will read a late third grade (DRA 38 or equivalent) text orally with 95% accuracy at 70 words per minute as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4b

Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.4b

  • A DRA or similar grade-level reading assessment gives you information on a student’s accuracy in reading. If you want to use it to assess for this standard, make sure to include a timed-reading element to the assessment and to take notes on intonation (mostly– do they stop at periods?  does their voice go up for quotations?). Read Naturally or Six Minute Solution passages can also provide a good baseline for this goal.

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can read an early third level text (DRA 30) with 80% accuracy at 70 words per minute. 

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • _______________ will read early fourth grade prose (DRA 40 or equivalent) orally with 95% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.4b

You can modify the target reading level, the percentage accuracy, and the fluency with which students read. I typically write my goals for about 1.5 years growth from where the kid is right now. I will write the goal for less if they haven’t been progressing and more if they are moving up levels quickly. Note that fluency targets vary by grade level– Reading A to Z has helpful charts for setting fluency targets.

  • Changing the target reading level
    • __________ will read an early third grade (DRA 30 or equivalent) text orally with 95%  accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.4b
  • Changing the accuracy target
    • __________ will read an early fourth grade (DRA 40 or equivalent) text orally with 90% accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.4b
  • Changing the fluency target
    • __________ will read an  early fourth grade (DRA 40 or equivalent) text orally with 95% accuracy at 80 words per minute as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.4b

IEP Goals for Phonics

These 1st to 5th grade phonics goals draw on the Common Core standards, but are all modified to have the specificity you need for IEP writing.

Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3c

  • If your school is using a phonics program, it should come with a placement test that can be used to assess for this goal.
  • In the store, we also have a stand alone decoding assessment with two versions that can be used for baseline writing and progress monitoring!

Need more ideas? Check out the PreK-2 Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can decode CVC words with 60% accuracy, words with blends and with digraphs with 40% accuracy, and long vowel words with 20% accuracy.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • _________ will know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds as demonstrated by reading a list of one syllable real and nonsense words with long vowels with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3c

These goals are slightly more challenging to modify than the fluency/reading levels goals because the letter patterns are fixed in the standards. That said, there are a few ways to adjust the goals. 

  • Changing the accuracy percentage
    •  _________ will know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds as demonstrated by reading a list of one syllable real and nonsense words with long vowels with 70% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3c
  • Changing the difficulty of the words read
    •  _________ will know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds as demonstrated by reading a list of  one- and two-syllable real and nonsense words with long vowels with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.1.3c

Second grade has two relevant standards:

  • If your school is using a phonics program, it should come with a placement test that can be used to assess for this goal.
  • In the store, we also have a stand alone decoding assessment with two versions that can be used for baseline writing and progress monitoring!
  •  

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page  or the PreK-2 Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can decode CVC words with 70% accuracy, words with blends and with digraphs with 50% accuracy, and long vowel words with 20% accuracy.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • 2nd grade goal 1: __________ will know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams as demonstrated by reading a list of one syllable real and nonsense words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3b
  • 2nd grade goal 2: _________ will decode regularly spelled, real and nonsense, two-syllable words with long vowels with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3c

These goals are slightly more challenging to modify than the fluency/reading levels goals because the letter patterns are fixed in the standards. That said, there are a few ways to adjust the goals. 

  • Changing the accuracy percentage
    •  __________ will know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams as demonstrated by reading a list of one syllable real and nonsense words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs with 70% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3b
    •  _________ will decode regularly spelled, real and nonsense, two-syllable words with long vowels with 70% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3c
  • Changing the difficulty of the words read
    •  __________ will know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams as demonstrated by reading a list of multisyllabic real and nonsense words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3b
    •  _________ will decode regularly spelled, real and nonsense, one-syllable words with long vowels with 70% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3c
    •  

Decode multisyllable words CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c

  • If your school is using a phonics program, it should come with a placement test that can be used to assess for this goal.
  • In the store, we also have a stand alone decoding assessment with two versions that can be used for baseline writing and progress monitoring!
  •  

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can decode CVC words proficiently. She  can decode words with blends or digraphs with 50% accuracy, long vowel words and words with vowel diphthongs with 30% accuracy, and words with “r” controlled vowels with 20% accuracy.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  • __________ will decode real and nonsense multisyllable words with consonant blends, digraphs, and long vowels with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c

Because the third grade standard is just written for decoding multisyllabic words, you have some nice flexibility to modify the goals.

  • Change the sound patterns
    • __________ will decode real and nonsense multisyllable words with blends and digraphs with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c
    • __________ will decode real and nonsense multisyllable words with long vowels, “r” controlled vowels, and vowel diphthongs with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c
    • __________ will decode real and nonsense multisyllable words with “r” controlled vowels, and vowel diphthongs with 80% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c
  • Changing the accuracy percentage
    • __________ will decode real and nonsense multisyllable words with consonant blends, digraphs, and long vowels with 70% accuracy as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.3c

Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a

  • If your school is using a phonics program, it should come with a placement test that can be used to assess for this goal.
  • In the store, we also have a stand alone decoding assessment with two versions that can be used for baseline writing and progress monitoring!
  •  

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can decode CVC words proficiently. She  can decode words with blends or digraphs with 50% accuracy, long vowel words and words with vowel diphthongs with 30% accuracy, and words with “r” controlled vowels with 20% accuracy.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  •  _______________ will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with common long vowel patterns out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a

Because the fourth grade standard is just written for decoding multisyllabic words, you have some nice flexibility to modify the goals. Note that I removed the part of the standard on all letter-sound patterns. If you have a student who is working at an advanced level you might want to put it back in– but at that point most likely you have a different area of reading you would want to focus on for the IEP.

  • Change the sound patterns
    • _______ will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with blends, diagraphs, and common long vowel patterns out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a
    • ______will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a
    • ______ will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with blends, common long vowel patterns, “r” controlled vowels, and vowel diphthongs out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a
  • Changing the accuracy percentage
    • ______ will read, with 70% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a

Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.3a

  • If your school is using a phonics program, it should come with a placement test that can be used to assess for this goal.
  • In the store, we also have a stand alone decoding assessment with two versions that can be used for baseline writing and progress monitoring!
  •  

Need more ideas? Check out the 2nd-5th Grade Reading Present Levels and Assessments Resource page.

Looking for assessment resources or support with turning assessments into goals and present levels? Check out the IEP Success Kit in the store!

Monica can decode CVC words proficiently. She  can decode words with blends or digraphs with 50% accuracy, long vowel words and words with vowel diphthongs with 30% accuracy, and words with “r” controlled vowels with 20% accuracy.

For more baseline ideas, check out the IEP Success Kit!

  •  _______________ will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with common long vowel patterns out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a

 Note that I removed the part of the standard on all letter-sound correspondence from the decoding IEP goal. If you have a student who is working at an advanced level you might want to put it back in– but at that point most likely you have a different area of reading you would want to focus on for the IEP.

  • Change the sound patterns
    • _______ will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with blends, diagraphs, and common long vowel patterns out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.3a
    • ______will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.3a
    • ______ will read, with 80% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with blends, common long vowel patterns, “r” controlled vowels, and vowel diphthongs out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.3a
  • Changing the accuracy percentage
    • ______ will read, with 70% accuracy, unfamiliar multisyllabic words with “r” controlled vowels and vowel diphthongs out of context (on a list) as measured by teacher records and observations CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.5.3a

Need teaching resources or downloadable Present Levels templates and assessments? Check out the store!