Lesson Plan: Happy and We Know It! A Sensory Song Adventure
Subject: Early Childhood Development (Music, Motor Skills, Social-Emotional)
Age Group: 1 Year Old
Lesson Duration: 5-10 minutes (repeatable)
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:
- Demonstrate engagement with the song through smiling, laughing, or making eye contact.
- Attempt to imitate at least one physical action from the song (e.g., clapping, stomping) with or without physical assistance.
- Participate in the song through vocalizations, babbling, or cooing.
Materials Needed
- A comfortable, open space on the floor
- A soft blanket or mat
- Optional: A small, baby-safe mirror
- Optional: A favorite stuffed animal or doll to be a "friend"
- Optional: A speaker or phone to play a version of "If You're Happy and You Know It"
Success Criteria
(What success looks like for the child)
- The child watches the educator and smiles or shows signs of enjoyment.
- The child moves their hands or feet in response to the song's cues.
- The child makes happy sounds during the activity.
Lesson Procedure
Part 1: Introduction (1 minute)
Hook & Objectives
Sit on the floor with the child in a comfortable position, either on your lap or facing you. Get their attention with a warm, exaggerated smile and happy sounds.
- Educator Action: Smile widely, make eye contact, and use an excited, gentle tone. Play a quick game of peek-a-boo to create a joyful mood.
- Talking Points for the Child: "Hi! Are you ready for a happy song? Yes! Song time! We are going to be so happy!"
Part 2: Body of the Lesson (3-7 minutes)
I Do, We Do, You Do Model
Step 1: "I Do" - Educator Models the Actions (1-2 minutes)
The educator sings the first verse and performs the actions with large, clear, and joyful movements. The goal is to be captivating and show the child what to do.
- Educator Action: Sing the first verse clearly and with enthusiasm. For example, sing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" then clap your hands very obviously near the child's line of sight while smiling at them. Repeat with "stomp your feet."
- Talking Points for the Child: (Singing) "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands! *CLAP, CLAP!* See? Clapping! So fun! (Singing) If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet! *STOMP, STOMP!* Look at my feet go stomp!"
Step 2: "We Do" - Guided Practice Together (2-3 minutes)
Engage the child directly by helping them perform the actions. This creates a kinesthetic link between the words and the movement.
- Educator Action: Sing the verses again. For "clap your hands," gently take the child's hands and help them clap together. For "stomp your feet," gently hold their legs and help them make a stomping motion on the floor or against your hand. Use lots of praise. If using a stuffed animal, make the animal do the actions on the child's tummy or lap.
- Talking Points for the Child: "Let's do it together! (Singing) If you're happy and you know it, clap YOUR hands! *gently guide their hands* Yay! Good clapping! Look at you! Now, let's stomp our feet! *gently guide their feet* Stomp, stomp, stomp! You did it!"
Step 3: "You Do" - Child's Turn to Try (1-2 minutes)
This is about encouraging independent attempts. The educator sings and performs the action, then pauses to see if the child responds. Celebrate any and all attempts.
- Educator Action: Position the child in front of the baby-safe mirror if you have one. Sing a verse, do the action, and then pause, looking at the child expectantly with a smile. Watch for any movement—a twitch of the hand, a kick of the feet, or a happy squeal. Lavishly praise any effort.
- Talking Points for the Child: "(Singing) If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!...(pause with hands open, looking at child)... Yay! I saw you move your hands! That was great! (Singing) If you're happy and you know it, shout 'Hooray!'... HOORAY!...(pause)... What a happy sound you made! Wonderful!"
Part 3: Conclusion (1-2 minutes)
Closure & Recap
Wind down the energy and reinforce the positive feelings associated with the activity. A calm, gentle conclusion helps the child transition to the next activity.
- Educator Action: Sing one last verse softly, perhaps changing the action to "give a hug" or "blow a kiss." Give the child a warm hug and a smile.
- Talking Points for the Child: "What a fun song! We were so happy! We clapped our hands and stomped our feet. Yay for our happy song! All done. Big hug!"
Assessment (Observational)
Formative (During the Lesson):
- Engagement: Is the child watching you? Are they smiling, cooing, or laughing?
- Participation: Does the child allow you to guide their hands/feet? Do they lean into the movement?
- Vocalization: Does the child make any sounds in response to the song or your "Hooray"?
Summative (Post-Lesson Reflection):
- Did the child attempt to imitate an action independently (e.g., bringing hands together, kicking feet)? Note any new attempts over time.
- Did the child consistently show positive emotional responses during the song? This demonstrates comprehension of the "happy" theme.
Differentiation & Adaptability
- For Learners Needing More Support:
- Focus entirely on the "We Do" stage with gentle, hand-over-hand assistance.
- Keep the session very short (2-3 minutes) and focus on just one action, like clapping.
- Lay the child on their back so they can freely kick their feet for "stomp your feet."
- For Learners Ready for a Challenge:
- Introduce new, more complex verses: "pat your head," "touch your nose," "turn around" (with support), or "wave hello."
- Vary the tempo. Sing the song very slowly, then speed it up to see if they can keep up.
- Pause and let the child "fill in the blank" with a sound or a movement. Ask, "What should we do now?" and interpret their wiggles or babbles as an answer.
- For Classroom/Group Settings:
- Have toddlers sit in a circle. The teacher can move around the circle providing hand-over-hand help during the "We Do" phase.
- Use puppets or props to demonstrate the actions for the whole group.