15 Problem Solving & Flexibility IEP Goals, Preschool Through High School

Flexibility and problem solving cover shifting between tasks, accepting an unexpected change, generating an alternative when a strategy does not work, and recovering from a mistake. They are the skills that decide whether a student can cope with a substitute teacher or an altered schedule.

Preschool & Pre-K

1. 1[student] will transition from a preferred to a non-preferred activity using a visual or verbal cue, with no more than 1 redirection, across 3 consecutive observations.
2. 2[student] will accept a change to an expected routine (a different snack, a substitute) with no more than 1 redirection, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.
3. 3[student] will try an alternative way to solve a simple problem (a puzzle piece, a block) when the first attempt doesn't work, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.

Kindergarten – 2nd

1. 4[student] will try a different strategy when the first approach to a problem doesn't work, with 1 adult prompt or fewer, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.
2. 5[student] will transition between subjects or activities within [X] minutes of the cue, with no more than 1 redirection, across 4 of 5 observed transitions.
3. 6[student] will accept an unexpected change to the daily routine with no more than 1 redirection, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.

3rd – 5th Grade

1. 7[student] will try at least 2 different strategies before asking for help when stuck on a problem, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.
2. 8[student] will adjust to an unexpected change in schedule or task without significant distress, in 4 of 5 observed opportunities.
3. 9[student] will shift between two different types of tasks or subjects without extended difficulty refocusing, across 4 of 5 observed transitions.
4. 10By [date], [student] will solve two-step word problems using any of the four operations with 75% accuracy across 4 of 5 trials.
5. 11By [date], [student] will identify the operations needed in a multi-step problem before solving with 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 opportunities.
6. 12By [date], [student] will show and explain their work for a multi-step problem, scoring 3/4 or higher on a rubric in 4 of 5 samples.
7. 13By [date], [student] will check whether an answer is reasonable using estimation in 4 of 5 opportunities.

9th – 12th Grade

1. 14[student] will adjust a plan independently when an unexpected obstacle arises (a schedule change, a setback), without significant distress, in 4 of 5 documented opportunities.
2. 15[student] will generate and evaluate at least 2 possible solutions before choosing how to solve a real problem, with 80% accuracy across 4 of 5 trials.

How to teach problem solving & flexibility in the classroom

Problem-solving is taught with a visible, repeatable framework the student can run without an adult. Pick one model — identify the problem, list options, weigh them, choose, check how it went — and use the same language and the same visual every time so it becomes a habit rather than a lesson. Start with low-stakes, familiar problems (a missing pencil, a disagreement over a turn) before academic or emotional ones. Think aloud through your own decisions so the student hears the internal steps most people never voice. Give a worked example, then a partly-completed one, then a blank template, fading your prompting each round. Keep a small bank of the student's own past solutions to point back to. Expect to re-teach the "weigh the options" step longest — jumping to the first idea is the most common breakdown — and treat a reasonable choice that did not work as a success if the process was followed.

How to measure it

Measure the recovery, not the upset. Count how often the student generates a second approach, or returns to task within a set number of minutes after a disruption — both are observable, unlike "will be more flexible".

Where these goals come from

Each goal above is drawn from a grade-band goal bank, where you can see it alongside the other targets it is usually paired with: Executive Function goals, 3rd – 5th Grade; Executive Function goals, 9th – 12th Grade; Executive Function goals, Kindergarten – 2nd Grade; Executive Function goals, Preschool & Pre-K; Math goals, 3rd – 5th Grade.

Related skills

A flat following-directions goal is often really a breakdown in one of these skills. If the data does not move, check whether the real target is here instead:

• Emotional Regulation IEP goals — recognising a feeling and doing something about it before it escalates
• Self-Monitoring IEP goals — noticing your own performance while it is happening
• Independent Functioning IEP goals — doing the routine without an adult standing there

Common questions

Further reading

• IRIS Center (Vanderbilt) — Instructional strategies modules ↗