For school-based SLPs, writing speech-language goals can feel like walking a tightrope: they need to be individualized and measurable, align with the curriculum and developmental norms, and — above all — be useful for tracking real progress.

When it comes to receptive and expressive language, having a bank of solid goal ideas can save you time and boost the quality of your IEPs. In this article, we'll break down what makes a good goal, explore the difference between receptive and expressive language, and share example goals across grade levels that you can copy, tweak, and use.

What's the Difference Between Receptive and Expressive Language?

Receptive language refers to a child's ability to understand what they hear or read. This includes:

• Following directions
• Understanding questions
• Vocabulary comprehension
• Grasping grammatical structures
• Interpreting figurative language or classroom content

Expressive language, on the other hand, is about using language to communicate thoughts, needs, and ideas. This includes:

• Using age-appropriate vocabulary
• Forming grammatically correct sentences
• Telling stories
• Answering questions
• Asking for help or clarification

Both are critical for academic success — and both often appear together in evaluations and IEPs.

What Makes a Strong Speech Therapy Goal?

All IEP goals should follow the SMART structure:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

And in speech therapy, goals should also include:

• The skill being targeted (e.g., "understand multi-step directions")
• The level of support (e.g., "with minimal verbal cues")
• The criteria for success (e.g., "in 4 out of 5 trials")
• The setting or context (e.g., "during structured language tasks")

Receptive Language Goal Examples

Pre-K / Kindergarten

• The student will follow one- and two-step directions with 80% accuracy during structured play tasks.
• The student will point to or identify pictured vocabulary words related to classroom themes (e.g., animals, food, school items) in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Elementary (Grades 1–5)

• The student will answer literal "wh" questions (who, what, where, when) about a short passage or story with 80% accuracy.
• The student will demonstrate understanding of tier-2 vocabulary words by selecting correct definitions or using them in a sentence, in 4 out of 5 trials.

Middle/High School

• The student will interpret figurative language (e.g., idioms, similes) in grade-level texts with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions.
• The student will follow multistep oral directions (3+ steps) in classroom and therapy settings with 90% accuracy.

Expressive Language Goal Examples

Pre-K / Kindergarten

• The student will label common objects in pictures or real-life contexts with 80% accuracy.
• The student will produce 3+ word utterances to make requests or describe actions during structured activities in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Elementary (Grades 1–5)

• The student will retell a short story including at least 3 key story grammar elements (character, setting, problem, solution) with 80% accuracy.
• The student will use age-appropriate grammatical forms (e.g., past tense verbs, plurals) in sentences in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Middle/High School

• The student will produce a 5–7 sentence paragraph with a clear topic sentence, supporting details, and appropriate syntax in 3 out of 4 writing samples.
• The student will express opinions using supporting reasons in structured language tasks with 80% accuracy.

Tips for Customizing Goals

• Use assessment data to pinpoint where the breakdown is — is it vocabulary, syntax, comprehension, or reasoning?
• Tie goals to curriculum standards where possible, especially for older students.
• Use classroom observations to inform functional goals that help the student succeed in real-life settings.
• Consider peer interaction: pragmatic language often overlaps with expressive/receptive issues and can be built into language goals.

Streamline Goal Writing with SLP Score

If you're writing goals from scratch every time, it's easy to fall into a rut — or lose precious time that could be spent on therapy. That's why tools like SLP Score are built to help school-based SLPs work smarter.

With SLP Score, you can:

• Auto-generate suggested goals based on test results
• Quickly customize based on age and skill level
• Ensure your goals are SMART and legally defensible
• Store and reuse your most effective goal templates

It's like having a searchable goal bank inside your report writer — but tailored to your student's actual scores and needs.

Final Thoughts: Goals That Work for You and for the Student

Speech-language goals aren't just IEP checkboxes — they're roadmaps. Clear, measurable, and functional goals make your sessions more focused, your data more meaningful, and your students more successful.

Whether you're updating an IEP, writing an eval, or building your own mini goal bank, we hope these examples help you write with more ease and more impact.

Want to see how SLP Score can make report writing and goal creation easier for your school caseload? Try out SLP Score today by clicking here.