Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-11-103.2a: Short title - Oklahoma Play to Learn Act

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-

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 children;

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 spontaneous 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;

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 social 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 limited 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, abilities 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

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. The

State Board of Education shall promulgate rules, subject to approval

by the Legislature, establishing guidelines for professional

development programs for early childhood educators and

administrators.