When it comes to supporting students in their communication journey, vocabulary goals are an essential part of a speech-language pathologist’s toolkit.
These goals help build a student’s ability to understand and use words effectively across different contexts, paving the way for academic success and social connection.
In this post, we’ll dive into strategies for writing vocabulary goals that are specific, measurable, and impactful. We’ll explore key areas to target in therapy, provide sample goals, and share tips for teaching vocabulary in fun and meaningful ways.
Along the way, you’ll get fresh insights from Marisha Mets’ latest podcast series on writing effective vocabulary goals, including practical advice that you can use in your sessions right away.
Along the way, you’ll get fresh insights from Marisha Mets’ latest podcast series on writing effective vocabulary goals, including practical advice that you can use in your sessions right away:
Let’s dig in!
Why Vocabulary?
Vocabulary is central to a child’s ability to comprehend and use language. Research has shown that vocabulary deficits can create a significant barrier to academic success, often creating a cycle of falling behind for students who struggle to learn new words.
“The Matthew Effect demonstrates that students who read more tend to learn more words, which improves comprehension, while struggling readers fall behind.”
— Stanovich, 1986.
This cyclical effect highlights the need for direct vocabulary instruction, especially for students with special needs.
Children with language impairments often require more direct instruction and repeated exposure to new words than their peers. Research by Pence & Justice (2004) underscores the importance of direct vocabulary teaching, noting that many students do not learn words indirectly through conversations, reading, or listening.
“Average children need 15 meaningful exposures for a word to become automatic, but children with language impairments require even more.” — Marzano, 2004; Pence & Justice, 2004.
Additionally, vocabulary is a key factor in the achievement gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Children from low-income families often know significantly fewer words when they enter school, which can hinder their academic progress (Snell, Hindman, & Wasik, 2015).
Pre-Teaching Vocabulary for Improved Comprehension
In her latest podcast episode, Marisha Mets emphasizes the importance of pre-teaching vocabulary to improve comprehension, particularly for Tier 2 words.
Pre-teaching vocabulary allows students to familiarize themselves with key terms before encountering them in context. This strategy is especially effective for older students who are working on more complex vocabulary.
“We found that comprehension improves if we pre-teach vocabulary words… Students are seeing those words in context multiple times.”
– Marisha Mets
Incorporating pre-teaching into your therapy sessions ensures that students encounter key vocabulary in a structured way, which enhances their ability to retain and use new words effectively.
SLP Now’s Vocabulary Goal Bank
Feeling stuck as a speech therapist when it comes to writing vocabulary goals?
SLP Now has a Vocabulary Goal Bank with a ton of vocabulary goal ideas for you to get inspiration from!
7 Areas to Target When Writing Vocabulary Goals for Speech Students
When setting vocabulary goals for speech students, it’s important to focus on a range of language skills that will help them not only understand words but use them functionally. Below are five key areas to target when writing vocabulary goals, each designed to support students’ language development across different contexts.
Before writing your vocabulary speech goals, be sure to review how to write SMART goals to help your students and make your IEP as clear as possible!
Let’s get into it..
1. Core Vocabulary
Core vocabulary refers to high-frequency words that students use across a wide range of situations. These words are versatile and form the foundation of language, making them a great place to start when setting vocabulary goals.
Targeting core vocabulary ensures that students can communicate in a variety of settings, whether they’re in the classroom, on the playground, or at home.
Example Goal:
The student will use total communication to produce selected core vocabulary words (e.g., go, want, help) at least 20 times throughout the school week.
2. Basic Concepts
Understanding basic concepts like size, quantity, and spatial relationships is critical for language development and academic success. These foundational skills help students follow instructions and engage in more complex tasks later on.
“Basic concepts provide the scaffolding that allows students to access more complex language down the road.”
— Marisha Mets
Assessing Basic Concepts
To set effective goals, use multiple data points such as:
- Classroom Observations: Monitor how the student follows directions involving basic concepts.
- Teacher/Parent Reports: Gather input on areas where the student may struggle.
- Dynamic Assessments: Interactive assessments that reveal how well the student grasps concepts.
- Formal Assessments: Tools like the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts can provide structured insights.
Example Goals:
The student will follow one-step directions with spatial concepts (e.g., up, down, in, out, on, off, above, below, next to, between) with 80% accuracy.
The student will use 10 basic concepts (e.g., up, down, in, out, on, off, above, below, next to, between) to describe his/her/their play across at least 3 sessions (for each concept).
Types of Concepts to Target:
- Qualitative: big/little, hot/cold
- Temporal: before/after, early/late
- Quantitative: full/empty, more/less
- Position: pn/off, front/back
By targeting basic concepts, students build the foundation for more complex language tasks.
3. Describing/Association
As our students increase their vocabulary, we want them to be able to describe the words they are learning, as well as make associations between them.
The Expanding Expressions Tool is a good resource for this goal. This tool focuses on describing vocabulary based on group, function, appearance, composition, parts, and location.
Example Goal:
The student will describe objects using 2-3 attributes (e.g., color, size, function) with minimal prompting in 4 out of 5 opportunities.
4. Tier 2 Vocabulary
Tier 2 words are high-frequency academic words that appear across different subjects and are crucial for academic success. These words often require direct instruction, as they are less common in everyday conversation but essential for understanding classroom texts and instructions.
“Targeting Tier 2 vocabulary is especially important because it’s relevant to students across their entire school experience.”
— Marisha Mets
Goal Setting for Tier 2 Vocabulary
Tier 2 vocabulary goals should focus on helping students understand, define, and use these words in context, ensuring they can apply them in various academic settings.
Example Goal:
The student will define and use 10 Tier 2 vocabulary words (e.g., analyze, compare, explain) with 80% accuracy during classroom discussions.
Common Tier 2 Words to Target:
- Analyze
- Compare
- Predict
- Evaluate
By focusing on Tier 2 words, students are better prepared to navigate academic texts and discussions, improving both their comprehension and expression.
5. Affixes
Teaching students to understand prefixes and suffixes is crucial for improving their ability to decode unfamiliar words. Affix instruction helps students break down complex vocabulary, particularly in academic settings, and enhances reading comprehension.
“Teaching students to identify prefixes and suffixes gives them powerful tools to decode new words.”
— Marisha Mets
Goal Setting for Affixes
Affix-related goals should focus on helping students recognize common prefixes and suffixes and apply their meanings in various contexts.
Example Goal:
The student will identify and explain the meaning of 5 common prefixes (e.g., re-, un-) and 5 common suffixes (e.g., -ing, -ed) with 80% accuracy during reading comprehension tasks.
Common Affixes to Target:
- Prefixes: re-, un-, pre-, dis-
- Suffixes: -ing, -ed, -ful, -less
Integrating affixes into vocabulary instruction helps students build a stronger understanding of word structure, boosting their overall language proficiency.
6. Comparing and Contrasting
Comparing and contrasting is an important skill for academic and social success.
As stated in a previous post on selecting vocabulary targets, it’s all about the building blocks and building a solid foundation!
By teaching students to notice similarities and differences between objects or ideas, we’re helping them deepen their understanding of vocabulary. Start with familiar objects and gradually introduce more abstract concepts as students progress.
“Comparing and contrasting should be scaffolded from the familiar to the more abstract to support learning.”
– Marisha Mets
Example Goal:
The student will compare and contrast objects using appropriate vocabulary (e.g., bigger, smaller, same, different) with 80% accuracy.
7. Multiple-Meaning Words
Multiple-meaning words can be particularly challenging for students with language delays, but mastering them is essential for improving both comprehension and vocabulary flexibility.
These words have different meanings depending on the context in which they are used (e.g., “bat” as a flying mammal vs. “bat” as a piece of sports equipment).
“Students with language impairments need at least 20-30 meaningful exposures to multiple-meaning words before they fully grasp their nuances.” — Marisha Mets
Targeting multiple-meaning words in therapy can provide significant benefits, especially for students who struggle with reading comprehension.
By teaching these words directly and providing repeated exposures in different contexts, you help students better understand how words can change meaning based on usage.
Research on Multiple-Meaning Words
Research shows that explicit teaching of multiple-meaning words leads to improved comprehension, as students become better equipped to use context clues to determine word meaning (Biemiller & Boote, 2006). Marisha emphasizes that students who receive direct explanations of multiple-meaning words are more likely to retain their meanings, compared to exposure alone.
“Evidence has shown that targeting multiple-meaning words is one of the best ways to get a ‘bang for your buck’ in vocabulary instruction.”
— Marisha Mets
Goal Setting for Multiple-Meaning Words
Example Goal:
The student will identify and use multiple-meaning words (e.g., bat, bark, tie) with appropriate meanings in context with 75% accuracy.
Examples of Multiple-Meaning Words:
- Light
- Pupil
- Space
- Saw
- Trunk
By explicitly targeting multiple-meaning words in therapy, students can improve both their comprehension of written texts and their ability to navigate conversations where words take on different meanings.
Bonus: SLP Now’s Therapy Plan Vocabulary Activities include multiple-meaning word vocabulary activities!
Early Stage Vocabulary Goals in Speech Therapy
For younger students, especially in preschool and early elementary years, vocabulary goals should focus on building foundational language skills. Early-stage vocabulary instruction is most effective when it targets core vocabulary—high-frequency words that students encounter daily. These words form the basis of their communication and comprehension abilities.
“Students have greater comprehension if we pre-teach key vocabulary before engaging in reading or other activities.” — Marisha Mets
Pre-Teaching Vocabulary for Early Learners
Pre-teaching is a powerful technique for early-stage vocabulary development. By introducing key vocabulary before students engage in an activity or story, you give them multiple opportunities to encounter and use the words in context. This is especially important for preschoolers, who benefit from structured exposure to new words.
Example Goal:
The student will use 5-10 core vocabulary words (e.g., go, stop, help) during structured play activities with 80% accuracy.
Strategies for Early Stage Vocabulary Instruction
- Play-Based Learning: Use toys, games, and other interactive tools to introduce new words in a fun, engaging way.
- Visual Supports: Incorporate pictures, flashcards, or objects to reinforce vocabulary learning.
- Repetition: Provide students with repeated exposure to the target words in different contexts to ensure retention.
By focusing on pre-teaching and core vocabulary, you help young students build a strong foundation for future language learning. As students become familiar with these early-stage words, they are better equipped to transition into more complex vocabulary.
Vocabulary Goal Examples
Writing goals that are both functional and specific to your student’s needs is key to helping them make meaningful progress in therapy. Below are a few additional vocabulary goal examples that can be adapted for students at different language levels.
For Early Language Learners:
- Example Goal:
The student will independently use 10 core vocabulary words (e.g., go, stop, more) during structured play activities in 80% of opportunities.
For Elementary Students:
- Example Goal:
The student will define 10 high-frequency Tier 2 vocabulary words (e.g., compare, explain, analyze) with 80% accuracy during reading comprehension activities.
For Older Students:
- Example Goal:
The student will identify and use prefixes and suffixes to determine the meanings of 10 unfamiliar vocabulary words in 4 out of 5 trials.
As mentioned in Part 2 of Marisha’s podcast, focusing on Tier 2 vocabulary words is particularly important for older students to enhance their academic success.
These examples offer a range of goals to target core vocabulary, academic vocabulary, and more advanced language skills, giving you a solid foundation to build from when crafting personalized goals for your students.
How to Teach Vocabulary Goals to Speech Therapy Students
Setting vocabulary goals is just the first step. The real progress happens when we effectively teach those vocabulary skills in a way that resonates with our students. Here are a few strategies to make vocabulary learning fun, engaging, and meaningful for your students.
1. Repeated Meaningful Exposure
Students with language impairments need many exposures to new words before they fully understand and use them. Marisha explains in Part 2 of her podcast that repeated, meaningful exposure across different activities is essential for vocabulary retention. This means using the target words during play, reading, and structured activities to solidify their understanding.
“Students need to hear and use vocabulary words across multiple activities before those words become a meaningful part of their vocabulary.”
– Marisha Mets
2. Use Visuals and Gestures
Incorporating visuals and gestures can help make abstract vocabulary more concrete for your students. For younger children, using pictures, physical objects, and hand motions can boost understanding and memory. For older students, using graphic organizers and visual aids can help them see how words relate to each other.
3. Teach Vocabulary in Context
It’s important to teach vocabulary in context so that students can learn how words function in everyday language. Whether you’re working on core vocabulary or academic vocabulary, practicing these words in natural, meaningful contexts—like classroom discussions, play activities, or reading comprehension—helps students generalize the skills they’ve learned.
4. Scaffold Instruction
When teaching new vocabulary, scaffold your instruction by starting with high levels of support and gradually reducing it as the student gains confidence. For example, when first introducing a new word, provide a model and a visual cue. As the student becomes more familiar with the word, slowly reduce the level of support to encourage independent use.
By using these strategies, you can create a more dynamic and engaging therapy environment that helps students internalize and use their new vocabulary effectively.
How to Incorporate Emotional Vocabulary in Speech Therapy
In addition to academic vocabulary, it’s important to focus on emotional vocabulary—helping students recognize, express, and understand their feelings. Emotional vocabulary goals are particularly valuable for students with social communication challenges, as they can enhance their ability to navigate social situations and improve peer relationships.
Why Emotional Vocabulary Matters
Emotional vocabulary helps students put their feelings into words, which is a critical skill for self-regulation and communication. Marisha highlights the importance of incorporating emotional vocabulary into therapy sessions in Part 2 of her podcast, explaining that understanding and expressing emotions can have a huge impact on a student’s social interactions.
“Emotional vocabulary is key to helping students express their feelings and navigate social situations.”
– Marisha Mets
Strategies for Teaching Emotional Vocabulary
- Labeling Emotions: Start by teaching students to label basic emotions such as happy, sad, mad, and scared. Visual aids, like emotion cards or faces, can be helpful tools to teach the vocabulary and reinforce understanding.
- Role-Playing: Create role-playing activities where students practice using emotional vocabulary in different social situations. This helps them connect the words to real-life experiences.
- Contextual Learning: Teach emotional vocabulary in context, integrating it into daily activities or during play. For instance, when reading a book, pause to discuss how the characters might be feeling and encourage students to use appropriate emotional vocabulary.
Example Emotional Vocabulary Goal:
The student will correctly identify and label five emotions during structured activities with 80% accuracy.
By targeting emotional vocabulary, you’re helping students better understand their own emotions and giving them the language they need to express their feelings appropriately in social interactions.
Conclusion
Writing effective vocabulary goals is essential for helping students build strong language skills that carry over into the classroom and beyond.
By targeting core vocabulary, basic concepts, multiple-meaning words, and even emotional vocabulary, you can create well-rounded goals that cater to your students’ unique needs.
With the strategies and examples provided in this article—and the expert insights from Marisha Mets’ podcasts—you’re equipped to set your students up for success in their vocabulary learning journey.
References:
Rutherford, M., Baxter, J., Grayson, Z., Johnston, L., & O’Hare, A. (2020). Visual supports at home and in the community for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review. Autism, 24(2), 447–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319871756
Witkowski, D., & Baker, B. (2012). Addressing the Content Vocabulary With Core: Theory and Practice for Nonliterate or Emerging Literate Students. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 21(3), 74–81. https://doi.org/10.1044/aac21.3.74
Reader Interactions