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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1569 By: Rosecrants
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to schools; creating the Oklahoma
Play to Learn Act; declaring legislative inte nt;
defining terms; allowing instruction in early
childhood education to foster certain development and
learning; providing certain learning environment;
authorizing educators to provide certain learning
opportunities; authorizing certain professional
development for teachers; disallowing school
districts from prohibiting teacher use of play -based
learning; providing for codification; and declaring
an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 11 -103.2a of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
Play to Learn Act".
B. It is the intention of the Oklahoma State Legislature
through this act to focus on the importance of child -centered, play-
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based learning as the most rigorous and most developmentally
appropriate way for children in the early childhood grade levels to
learn literacy, science, technology, engineering, art and math
academic concepts.
C. As used in this section:
1. "Child-directed" means interaction in which the child is
helped to direct and lead the play in any way the child wishes,
unless there is harmful or destructive activity;
2. "Domain" means a specified sphere of activity or knowledge;
3. "Early childhood education" means prekindergarten,
kindergarten, first grade, second grade and third grade;
4. "Play" means the spontaneous activity of c hildren;
5. "Play-based learning" means any learning activities that are
performed by a child for self -amusement that have behavioral, social
and psychomotor rewards. Play -based learning shall also mean
activities that are child -directed, joyful and spon taneous whereby
the rewards come from within the individual child;
6. "Professional development" means any of a wide variety of
specialized training, formal education or advanced professional
learning intended to help administrators, teachers and other
educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill
and effectiveness;
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7. "Reading for pleasure" means reading that is freely chosen
or that readers freely and enthusiastically continue after it is
assigned; and
8. "Socialization" means soci al interaction with others.
D. Instruction in support of early childhood education
standards may be engaging and may foster children's development and
learning in all domains, including physical, social, emotional,
cognitive and language. To the best of their ability, educators may
create a learning environment that facilitates child -directed
experiences based upon developmentally appropriate early childhood
practices and intentional, sustained, play -based learning
opportunities, including, but not limite d to, movement, creative
expression, exploration, socialization, reading for pleasure, art,
music and dramatic play. The art instruction may adhere to
prekindergarten standards for fine arts, which include dance, drama,
music and visual arts, as approved by the State Department of
Education. Educators may develop physical, social, emotional,
cognitive and academic learning opportunities in all curricular
domains, which may include unstructured time for the discovery of
each child's individual needs, abili ties and talents.
E. In support of play -based learning in Oklahoma public
schools, school districts may provide ongoing early childhood
professional development for early childhood educators and
administrators, which may include existing early childhood
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professional development programs from the State Department of
Education.
F. A school district shall not prohibit a teacher from
utilizing play-based learning in early childhood education.
SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
58-1-7455 AMM 02/09/21