Students who struggle with routines, communication, self-care, emotional regulation, or independence may need more than repeated reminders. Teachers need a practical way to identify the specific functional life skill that needs support, determine what to teach next, and connect that need to appropriate interventions and IEP goals.

The Functional Life Skills IEP Checklist, Goals & Interventions K–2 provides an organized system for assessing foundational functional skills in early elementary students. It helps educators identify strengths and areas needing support, choose developmentally appropriate interventions, and develop measurable goals that build independence at school, at home, and in the community.

I created this resource to keep assessment and planning connected. Instead of searching separately for a daily living skills checklist, intervention ideas, and life skills IEP goals, educators can move from observation to instruction using one aligned resource.

MOVE FROM A BROAD CONCERN TO A SPECIFIC SKILL

A student described as “not independent” may actually need support with several different skills. The student may have difficulty asking for help, following a bathroom routine, staying with a group, managing frustration, making simple choices, or completing an age-appropriate self-care task.

This informal functional skills assessment helps teachers break broad concerns into specific, observable skills. Once the team identifies the skill that needs support, the included interventions and sample goals provide a starting point for individualized planning.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

This 48-page resource includes:

• Developmentally appropriate functional life skills checklists
• Fourteen functional skill areas
• Yes-or-no rating options
• Targeted intervention ideas aligned with each skill area
• Measurable sample goals that can be individualized
• Space for notes, observations, and documentation
• Fillable PDF fields for digital use
• Printable pages for handwritten use

The PDF can be completed digitally or printed and completed by hand.

Please note: Fillable means the existing fields can be completed digitally. The wording, layout, colors, fonts, and design are not customizable.

FOURTEEN FUNCTIONAL LIFE SKILL AREAS

The checklist addresses:

• Community Navigation and Safety
• Daily Living Skills
• Employment and Job Readiness
• Independence and Self-Advocacy
• Meal Preparation and Nutrition
• Medical and Health Management
• Motor Skills and Safety Awareness
• Personal Finance and Money Management
• Play and Leisure Skills
• Pre-Academic and Academic Readiness
• Self-Care Skills
• Self-Regulation and Emotional Control
• Social Skills and Communication
• Toileting Skills

Each area focuses on foundational K–2 skills that support safety, communication, participation, self-management, and growing independence.

TARGETED FUNCTIONAL SKILLS INTERVENTIONS

The intervention ideas help educators respond to identified skill needs with instruction rather than relying only on reminders or correction.

Depending on the identified skill, interventions may include:

• Visual supports and schedules
• Explicit teaching and modeling
• Guided practice
• Task analysis and step-by-step instruction
• Prompting and prompt fading
• Reinforcement
• Social stories and role-play
• Environmental supports
• Supported choice-making
• Practice across people and settings
• Self-regulation supports

Educators can select and adapt the strategies that best match the student, setting, and identified need.

MEASURABLE LIFE SKILLS IEP GOALS

The sample goals connect directly to the functional skills assessed. Teachers can adjust the criteria, setting, prompting level, frequency, and expected level of independence to reflect the student’s baseline performance and individual needs.

The goals and checklist information may support:

• IEP development
• Behavior intervention planning
• MTSS problem-solving
• Individualized functional skills instruction
• Progress-monitoring discussions
• Collaboration with families and service providers

USE THIS RESOURCE TO

• Identify functional life skill strengths and needs
• Establish informal baseline information
• Select skills for direct instruction
• Choose interventions aligned with an identified need
• Develop measurable life skills IEP goals
• Document observations and student progress
• Prepare for IEP and student-support meetings
• Support communication among teachers, families, and service providers
• Plan instruction that builds meaningful independence

DESIGNED FOR K–2 SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TEAMS

This resource may be especially helpful for:

• Special education teachers
• General education teachers in inclusive classrooms
• Behavior specialists
• School psychologists
• Interventionists
• Occupational therapists and related-service providers
• Self-contained classroom teams
• IEP, BIP, and MTSS teams

Use the resource with an individual student or as part of a team discussion about functional skills, instructional priorities, and needed supports.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

This resource is an informal educational assessment and planning tool. It is not a standardized, norm-referenced, or diagnostic assessment. It does not replace a formal evaluation, functional behavior assessment, or other individualized assessment when one is required.

The checklist, interventions, and sample goals should be individualized based on the student’s needs, baseline performance, environment, and required level of support.

The purpose is not simply to document whether a student can or cannot perform a skill. It is to help the team identify what the student needs to learn next and plan instruction that supports meaningful independence over time.

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