Springfield, IL May 27, 2026—Teach Plus Illinois applauds the State Legislature for passing House Bill 4577. Authored by Teach Plus Policy Fellows, this legislation establishes a clear definition for play-based learning and protects the use of play in Illinois classrooms.
“This critical legislation underscores a commitment to developmentally appropriate instruction by providing a clear, field-tested, and standardized definition for ‘play-based learning’ within the state’s school code,” said Aubry Stapleton, Teach Plus Illinois Early Childhood Education Policy Manager. “By formally defining both teacher-initiated and student-initiated play, this bill ensures that educators have the necessary framework to implement intentional, high-quality, and research-backed learning environments for our youngest students in both full-day and half-day kindergarten.”
The passage of HB 4577 marks a historic milestone as Illinois becomes only the third state to explicitly define play-based learning in school code legislation. Following a robust advocacy campaign by Teach Plus Policy Fellows through public testimony, op-eds, and the launch of the Start With Play Coalition, this framework provides school districts with the clarity needed to foster high-quality environments that honor how children naturally learn.
“Building on the work of previous Policy Fellows, I helped work to refine the definition, a process that connects closely to what I see every day in my classroom. As a current 2nd grade teacher and former pre-K educator, I see the difference in students who come from strong play-based classroom experiences. I am excited to watch the positive results once all kindergartens begin using play-based learning in the classroom. This foundation ensures my future students arrive prepared, allowing me to pivot from establishing basics to accelerating their academic and social potential,” said Diana Zepeda, a 2025-2026 Teach Plus Illinois Early Childhood Educator Policy Fellow and Chicago teacher.
Take the Play Pledge and join the Start with Play Coalition.
About Teach Plus
The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning for students. teachplus.org/IL
