Print Concepts Goal Guide
Concepts About Print Goal Guide
IEP Trajectory Analysis • Developing vs. Approaching Stages
Special Education • Literacy Alignment
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Executive Summary of Differences
Developing goals focus on gross visual discrimination and receptive sorting (distinguishing letters from shapes or numbers in small fields of 3 using pointing). Approaching goals demand fine-grained feature analysis, expressive naming, and cross-case correspondence (letter-sound naming, uppercase-to-lowercase matching, and scanning 8–10 item charts).
1. Cognitive Demand & Response Mode
Dev
Receptive Only: Pointing, visual pairing, echoic repetition after teacher model.
App
Expressive & Metacognitive: Spontaneous letter naming, category labeling ("letter vs shape").
2. Visual Discrimination Granularity
Dev
Gross Contrasts: Letter vs familiar shapes/emojis or numerals; matching identical icons.
App
Fine Graphic Features: Curved vs straight lines, letter pairs (LG vs AA), case matches (C/c).
3. Presentation Field & Array Size
Dev
Field of 3 Tiles: Limited choices to reduce visual clutter and memory load.
App
Chart Arrays (8–10 items): Requires visual scanning, systematic tracking, and self-direction.
4. Success Criteria & Generalization
Dev
80% on 5 Trials (4/5): Foundational stimulus discrimination with heavy support.
App
80–87% on 8–10 Trials (8/10, 7/8): High stamina and accuracy across diverse letters.
Detailed Analysis of Goal Set 1 & Set 2
Goal Set 1: Symbol Identification & Discrimination Field of 3 Tiles → Case Matching
Developing Strand
Goal: Given 3 tiles (1 letter, 2 numerals), point to letter (4/5).
- • Obj 1 & 2: Match 2 identical shapes in a triad (symmetry).
- • Obj 3: Match 2 identical numerals in a triad.
- • Focus: Perceptual sorting before orthographic recognition.
Approaching Strand
Goal: Given uppercase letter, point to similar lowercase partner (8/10).
- • Obj 1: Discriminate stroke types (curved vs straight lines).
- • Obj 2: Discriminate letter pairs (LG vs AA match).
- • Obj 3: Point to letter vs numerals across 8/10 trials.
- • Focus: Internal letter geometry and case equivalence.
Goal Set 2: Letter Identification & Naming Mastery Receptive Prompting → Expressive Naming
Developing Strand
Goal: Given letter + 2 familiar shapes/emojis, point to letter (4/5).
- • Obj 1 & 2: Sort line types and geometric shapes.
- • Obj 3: Repeat letter name verbally while pointing when teacher prompts.
- • Cognitive Level: Echoic repetition + receptive recognition.
Approaching Strand
Goal: Given 8-letter chart, student verbally names letters (7/8).
- • Obj 1: Label item category verbally ("letter" vs "shape").
- • Obj 2 & 3: Progress from repeating name to dual point-and-state naming.
- • Cognitive Level: Spontaneous retrieval & explicit classification.
Concepts About Print (CAP) Diagnostic IEP Framework Turn to Page 2 for Directionality & Placement Criteria →
Tracking & IEP Implementation
Directionality Mechanics, Progress Tracking • Placement Guidance
Instructional Strategy
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Goal Set 3: Text Tracking & Book Handling Continuum Left-to-Right • Top-to-Bottom • Return Sweep
Target Goal (Developing): Given a grade-level story, tracks words on each page using finger from left to right and top to bottom for 4 pages in 4 of 5 books.
Step 1: Group / Pointer
Small-group choral read; familiar big book; uses pointer tool on 1 page (3/5 books).
Step 2: Model / Pointer
Teacher models first; instructional big book; uses pointer tool on 2 pages (3/5 books).
Step 3: Model / Finger Direct
Teacher models first; grade-level story; uses finger tracking on 4 pages (4/5 books).
*Approaching Transition: Progresses from physical tracking to 1-to-1 voice-to-print matching, word boundary recognition, and punctuation awareness.
Concepts About Print Developmental Trajectory
Level 1 (Pre-CAP) Identical shape/line matching
Level 2 (Developing) Letters vs shapes/numerals (field of 3)
Level 3 (Approaching) Line types, letter pairs & category labels
Level 4 (Early Proficient) Case pairs & expressive naming
Assign "Developing" When Student:
- ✓ Cannot yet distinguish print from non-print pictures or numbers.
- ✓ Becomes overwhelmed by charts or fields with >3 choices.
- ✓ Needs visual or physical scaffolding (pointers, tiles, modeling).
- ✓ Demonstrates limited verbal output and communicates best via pointing.
Assign "Approaching" When Student:
- ✓ Already knows that letters represent print distinct from shapes.
- ✓ Can visually scan a multi-item grid or chart (8 to 10 characters).
- ✓ Is working on expressive letter naming and verbal classification.
- ✓ Can discriminate fine graphic lines (curved vs straight, C vs c).
Progress Monitoring Data Collection Protocol
Assessment Frequency Every 2–3 weeks across 3 of 4 consecutive sessions using unprompted probe sheets.
Prompt Hierarchy Fading Independent → Gestural → Direct Verbal → Physical Model. Only unprompted trials count.
Mastery Verification Maintain 80%+ accuracy across 3 distinct probes before advancing to next tier.
Concepts About Print IEP Progression • Teacher Resource © Instructional IEP Navigator