speech iep goals for expressive language

100+ Expressive Language Goals Speech Therapy with Free Goal Bank

Expressive language goals are an important part of speech therapy. Through expressive language goals, we help guide our students in improving their communication abilities.

These goals are designed to build the capacity to convey thoughts, feelings, and information effectively.

Our work in this area is deeply rooted in understanding the specific needs and abilities of each person, tailoring objectives that are both achievable and impactful. Careful assessment and progress tracking underpin our approach to ensure that therapy sessions contribute to meaningful development in speech and language skills.

If you are a speech-language pathologist or teacher looking to learn more about how to write speech therapy goals and for a massive list of expressive language goals, then this blog post was made just for you!

Below is a goal bank of over 100 measurable goals to address expressive language difficulties and hopefully make your work day just a little bit easier!

Enjoy!

Key Takeaways

Expressive language goals are tailored to improve communication.
Progress is monitored through careful assessment.
Strategies & resources are personalized for each individual’s needs.

Understanding Expressive Language Goals

Defining expressive language and its importance.

Expressive language is the ability to communicate thoughts, feelings, and ideas through speech, writing, or other forms of output. It’s a crucial component of day-to-day interactions and a foundational skill for academic success and social integration.

Speech therapy goals aimed at expressive language focus on enhancing the individual’s capacity to convey messages effectively. For individuals with language delays or expressive language difficulties, specific and measurable goals are essential to overcoming their challenges and improving their expressive language skills.

Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in Setting Goals

Our role in goal writing is to tailor objectives that address the unique needs of each person requiring early intervention or ongoing therapy. When setting expressive language goals, we can consider the following:

Baseline Abilities : Understanding the individual’s current expressive language skills.
Desired Outcomes : Identifying realistic targets that encourage progress yet remain attainable.
Measurement Criteria : Establishing clear markers to evaluate progress and adjust goals as needed.

We combine our expertise with evidence-based practices to formulate goals that promote meaningful improvements in expressive language.

Components of Effective Goal Setting

When we set out to create successful treatment plans in speech therapy, the goals we establish are crucial landmarks for progress. Our goals need to be well-defined, evidence-based, and tailored to the unique needs of each individual we assist.

SMART Goals Framework

The SMART Goals Framework is essential for establishing clear and achievable targets. Goals must be:

S pecific: Concrete and clear goals help us provide focused therapy.
M easurable: We need to track progress objectively.
A chievable: Goals must be realistic given the individual’s current abilities.
R elevant: We aim for goals that significantly impact the individual’s communication skills.
T ime-bound: We set time frames to keep goals within reachable deadlines.

Identifying Specific Areas of Need

To pinpoint the specific areas of need , we:

Conduct thorough assessments to understand the individual’s baseline abilities.
Listen to concerns and prioritize goals that align with the individual’s daily communication needs.

Recognizing these areas ensures our treatment plans are directly addressing necessary skills for improvement.

Creating Measurable and Functional Speech Goals

When developing comprehensive goal banks for IEPs, we ensure they are both measurable and functional, directly creating a path for visible progress and practical communication enhancement in various environments.

Sample Goals for Various Language Levels

Goal: The child will use single words to make requests in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Intermediate:

Goal: The student will construct 4-word sentences to describe an event in 9 out of 10 trials with minimal prompts.
Goal: The client will accurately narrate a past event using appropriate tense markers in 90% of observed opportunities.

Adapting Goals to the School Setting

Functional Communication:

Goal: The child will request assistance during classroom activities using a full sentence in 4 out of 5 instances.

Integration with Academic Content:

Goal: The student will use complex sentences to summarize a reading passage in oral form with 80% accuracy across four sessions.

100+ Expressive Language Goals for Speech Therapy Goal Bank

Simply scroll to the bottom of this blog post to download a pdf of these 100+ Expressive Language Goals

Speech Therapy Goals for Expressive Language Delay

Utterance expansion, narrative development, gestures/signs, categorizations, similarities, differences, comparisons, multiple meanings, grammar structure, vocabulary definitions.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use present progressive-tense verbs (i.g., walking, running, laughing) appropriately in a sentence or conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use regular/irregular plural markers (i.g., apples/feet) appropriately in a sentence or conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use article/number agreement (i.g., an apple/the boys) appropriately in a sentence or conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use present-tense verbs (i.g., give, go, drink) appropriately in a sentence or conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use future-tense verbs (i.g., will drive, will stop, will park) appropriately in a sentence or conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a writing or speaking task, STUDENT will use regular/irregular past-tense verbs (i.g., walked/ran) appropriately in a sentence or conversation with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use nouns to answer WHO or WHAT questions with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use verbs to tell actions with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use prepositional phrase to answer WHERE questions with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a picture or story, STUDENT will use prepositional phrase or adjective to answer HOW questions with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to call attention to an object (e.g., “this ball”, “my shoe”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show the disappearance of an object (e.g., “no cracker”, “apple all gone”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to indicate recurrence of an object (e.g., “more cracker”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words that contain an adjective and a noun (e.g., “big bear”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show possession of an object (e.g., “Daddy car”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show action object (e.g., “read book”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show the location of an object (e.g., “dog car”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show agent action (e.g., “dog jump”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to show emotion (e.g., “baby tired”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2 words to achieve the desired end of an object (e.g., “go home”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will say 3 to 4-word utterances (e.g., “dog sitting in car”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will form grammatically correct simple sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use correct subject-verb agreement in sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use all necessary propositions in sentences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use compound sentences (i.e., and, but, or, etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an activity, picture, or story, STUDENT will use correct subject-verb agreement with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2-3 word utterances to describe the object or picture with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to ask a question/comment/describe, STUDENT will use 4-5 word utterances to ask a question/comment/describe with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an orally presented sentence with missing words, STUDENT will identify missing words (i.e., articles, prepositions. etc.) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to ask a question/comment/describe, STUDENT will include all necessary words in a sentence to ask a question/comment/describe with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use descriptive words to describe the object or picture with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to express a want or need, STUDENT will use complete grammatically correct sentence to express HIS/HER want or need with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to tell past events, STUDENT will use simple complete grammatically correct sentence to tell about past events with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to express a want or need, STUDENT will use 2-4 words to express HIS/HER want or need with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to comment or share information, STUDENT will use2-4 words to express HIS/HER comment or share information with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a wh-question, STUDENT will use2-4 words to answer simple Wh-questions (i.e., who, what, when, where, why, how) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given visual cues (e.g., sequencing cards) and a story, STUDENT will sequence the story including problem and solution with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story or activity, STUDENT will sequence the story or activity that includes # parts with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to tell a story, STUDENT will use descriptive language to tell their story with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an opportunity to tell a story from their past, STUDENT will tell their story with the appropriate number of details and in the right order with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story or activity, STUDENT will use sequence words to verbally order a story or activity (e.g., first, next, then, after, last) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a want or request, STUDENT will pair vocalizations with gestures when indicating a want or requesting an object with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a want for “more”, STUDENT will use words and/or signs to ask for “more” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a task or activity, STUDENT will use words and/or signs to indicate HE/SHE is “finished” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a difficult task or activity, STUDENT will use words and/or signs to ask for “help” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a “yes” or “no” question, STUDENT will use words and/or signs to answer the question with “yes” or “no” with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common objects or pictures, STUDENT will verbally label the item with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a common object, noun, or action, STUDENT will verbally label the item in a phrase or sentence with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common words, STUDENT will verbally name the word with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 common words, STUDENT will verbally name the word in a phrase or sentence with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

SEE ALSO: 179+ Wh Questions Free Printable

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using articles (i.e., “a”, “an”, “the”, and “some”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using demonstrative adjectives (i.e., “this”, “that”, “these”, and “those”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using plural nouns (i.e., s, es, and irregular plural forms) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using possessive nouns (i.e., “the girl’s book”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using subject pronouns (i.e., “I”, “he”, “she”, “you”, “we”, “they”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using object pronouns (i.e., “me”, “him”, “her”, “you”, “us”, “them”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using possessive pronouns (i.e., “my”, “mine”, “his”, “her/hers”, “you/yours”, “our/ours”, “their/theirs”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using reflexive pronouns (i.e., “myself”, “himself”, “herself”, “yourself”, “yourselves”, “ourselves”, “themselves”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using present progressive verb tense (i.e., “The girl is running”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using past progressive verb tense (i.e., “The girl was running”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using present tense “s” and “es” marker (i.e., “The girl runs”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using “has”/”have” (i.e., “The girl has a book”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using regular past tense (i.e., “The boy waited for the bus.”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using irregular past tense (i.e., “ran”, “drove”, “drank”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using conjunctions (i.e., “and”, “or”, “but”, “because”, “if”, “since”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using future tenses (i.e., “The boy will go to school”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using negative sentence structures (i.e., “will not/won’t”, “does not/doesn’t”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will ask yes/no questions (i.e., “Is the boy hurt?”) in a complete sentence with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will ask WH questions (i.e., “What is the girl doing?”) in a complete sentence with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using comparatives (i.e., “The kitty is smaller than the tiger”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or story, STUDENT will say a complete sentence using superlatives (i.e., “That is the best cookie.”) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an idiom with a visual cue, STUDENT will accurately describe the meaning of the idiom with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an idiom verbally with no visual cue, STUDENT will accurately describe the meaning of the idiom with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an idiom verbally, STUDENT will identify a social situation where the idiom may be used appropriately with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 words with picture cues, STUDENT will define the word correctly with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will use 2-3 critical features to describe the object or picture with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an emotional expression picture or story, STUDENT will use vocabulary to clearly describe the feelings, ideas, or experiences with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or word, STUDENT will identify synonyms with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or word, STUDENT will identify antonyms with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 5 identified words in sentences, STUDENT will provide a synonym/antonym with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a story with highlighted words, STUDENT will provide a synonym/antonym for each highlighted word with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given 10 pictures, STUDENT will match opposite pictures in pairs (i.e., happy/sad, up/down) with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object, picture, or word, STUDENT will identify the opposite with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given an object or picture, STUDENT will describe the object or picture by naming the item, identify attributes (color, size, etc.), function, or number with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given a reading task, STUDENT will define unfamiliar words using context clues with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given common academic vocabulary, STUDENT will define prefix and/or suffix with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Given common academic vocabulary, STUDENT will define the vocabulary word using a complete sentence with correct grammar with 80% accuracy in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Assessment and Progress Tracking

Data collection and utilizing iep goals.

We meticulously collect data on each interaction that pertains to our client’s IEP goals. Crafting a well-structured IEP goal bank allows us to select targets that are measurable and aligned with the client’s specific needs.

As we collect this date, we cross-reference this information with our IEP goal bank to ensure consistency and completeness in our data collection efforts.

If you’re a classroom teacher or speech pathologists in need of data tracking forms while working on your student’s goals for speech-language therapy then be sure to check out my IEP goal data tracking for progress monitoring forms .

Or if you simply want a list of data sheets to choose from then be sure to check out my list of 35 free speech therapy data sheets roundup .

Therapeutic Techniques and Activities

We understand that the efficacy of speech therapy relies heavily on targeted therapeutic techniques and activities. These strategies are meticulously designed to foster language development and improve expressive skills.

Here, we discuss two fundamental approaches: Structured Language Activities and Using Picture Scenes and Cards.

Structured Language Activities

Structured language activities are the cornerstone of our therapeutic approach. These activities provide a controlled environment where we can isolate specific linguistic skills for practice and reinforcement. For instance:

Modeling : We offer models of correct language use, which clients can recognize and reproduce.
Repetition : Clients are encouraged to practice specific words or sentence structures repeatedly to build proficiency.

Here are some of our favorite structured language activities to help accomplish speech therapy goals!

Nobody Hugs A Cactus Structured Narrative Retell by BJT the SLP at Communication Reigns is a short story with specific objectives to build school aged language skills! Short stories play a crucial role in answering verbal prompts to build comprehension. This bundle offer WH Questions and types for fading cues so that all students have their necessary support.
Speech Therapy: FREE Expressive Language Program by Speech Chick Alissa Halloway is a great way to use visual prompts and verbal prompts in a structured activity. This freebie is highly rated!
Weekly Agenda / Learning Targets / Student Reflection by Expressive ELA Education is a great resource to add to your treatment plan! Students practice conversational skills and social skills as they are prompted through the plan for the week.

Using Picture Scenes and Cards

Picture scenes and cards elevate the engagement and contextuality of our therapy sessions. These tools help clients visualize and conceptualize language in relatable scenarios.

Picture Scenes : We use detailed scenes to encourage clients to describe activities, tell stories, and develop narrative skills. Picture Cards : These are used for more focused work on specific vocabulary, categorization, and articulation tasks.

Here are some great picture scenes and picture card resources for you!

FREEBIE! Describing with your Senses Vocabulary/Word Finding Game BOOM CARDS by SLP Style is an engaging picture scene that prompts students to use social language and talk through their senses
Expressive Language – What do you see at the beach? By Listen Speak Learn offers picture cues to talk about what is seen at the beach.
Body Parts – Expressive and Receptive Identification by Our Impact is a great way to practice expressive language goals as students practice labeling body parts.

Blog Post Resources

Here are all my Speech Therapy Store blog posts for working on expressive language skills that you might also find helpful!

33 Most Common Irregular Plurals Flashcards – Download this first post of free irregular plurals with their real-life photos.
253+ Yes or No Questions for Speech Therapy – Here is a massive resource working on answering yes or no questions.
179+ Wh Questions Free Printable – Grab this freebie to work on answering wh-questions.
197+ Best Wh Questions Speech Therapy Activities – If you have a child or student working on wh-question you’ll also want to check out this list of helpful free resources.
31+ What Questions for Speech Therapy – Have your child or student watch these wordless videos and then answer the “what” question using the interactive quiz with instant feedback.
31 Best Wordless Videos to Work on Answering Questions – Have your student watch these fun animated wordless videos and then answer the included wh-questions.
Nature Themed Bundle – This bundle includes yes/no questions, wh-questions, pronouns, regular past tense verbs, and irregular past tense verbs.
Technology Themed Bundle – This bundle also includes yes/no questions, wh-questions, pronouns, regular past tense verbs, and irregular past tense verbs.

Need Other IEP Goals?

Are you a speech language pathologist looking for other effective iep goals for speech? If so, be sure to check out my master list of IEP goals here .

This list of goal writing ideas also includes the following speech pathology goals:

Figurative Language
Final Consonants
Prepositional Phrase
Context Clues
Articulation Goals (Single Word Level, Phrase Level, Sentence Level, and Conversation)
Communication Device – Nonverbal Communication

These are just a few of the possible goal combinations listed on this master list of over 432 IEP goals made for a speech therapist.

expressive-language-goals-speech-therapy

<< Fill out the Form to grab your free 100+ Expressive Language Goals PDF >>

Grab your expressive language iep goal bank, frequently asked questions :, expressive language goals for speech therapy.

In this section, we provide a thorough overview of common inquiries surrounding expressive language goals in speech therapy, particularly as they relate to children and early intervention programs.

What objectives are typically included in expressive language goals for speech therapy?

We often target the enhancement of vocabulary, the correct use of grammar, the ability to construct sentences, and the skill of relaying information or needs. Increasing the variety and complexity of spoken language is also a primary objective.

How can one formulate effective long-term goals for expressive language development in speech therapy?

We focus on creating goals that are achievable and measurable, tailored to the child’s current abilities and potential for growth. Goals are plotted out over a period, with milestones that align with the child’s developmental stage.

Can you provide examples of expressive language goals for early intervention programs?

Certainly. We set goals like expanding the child’s vocabulary, encouraging the use of two to three-word phrases, and improving the clarity of speech. Another example is prompting the child to initiate communication.

What strategies are used to establish expressive communication goals in therapy?

We use a detailed assessment of a child’s current language abilities to establish baselines, then leverage those findings to set individualized goals. Strategies may include play-based learning or structured activities.

How do therapists measure progress towards expressive language goals in speech therapy?

Progress is measured through consistent tracking of therapy sessions, using tools such as language samples, direct observation, and standardized tests. We look for signs of improvement in the child’s ability to express themselves.

What are some common goals set for 3-year-olds to enhance expressive language skills?

For 3-year-olds, we often set goals aimed at increasing sentence length, improving story-telling skills, and fostering the use of pronouns and prepositions, reflecting typical language development milestones for this age group.