Aligning IEP Goals to the Science of Reading

The science of reading refers to the understanding of how people learn to read and the most effective ways to teach reading. When aligning Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals to the science of reading, it is important to consider the following:

1. Phonemic awareness: This refers to the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken language. IEP goals related to phonemic awareness might include improving the ability to identify and manipulate phonemes in spoken words, or to blend and segment words based on their phonemes.

2. Phonics: This refers to the understanding that there is a relationship between letters and sounds, and that this relationship can be used to decode written words. IEP goals related to phonics might include improving the ability to apply phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words or to spell words correctly.

3. Vocabulary: This refers to the knowledge of words and their meanings. IEP goals related to vocabulary might include increasing the number of words a student knows or improving the ability to use new words in spoken and written language.

4. Fluency: This refers to the ability to read text accurately, quickly, and with expression. IEP goals related to fluency might include improving reading speed and accuracy, or increasing the ability to read with expression.

5. Comprehension: This refers to the ability to understand and make meaning from text. IEP goals related to comprehension might include improving the ability to make connections between ideas in the text, to make inferences, or to summarize what has been read.

It is important to align IEP goals to the science of reading because doing so helps to ensure that the goals are based on evidence-based practices that have been shown to be effective in helping students learn to read.