Play deficits in preschool and first-grade school adaptation: a longitudinal study

The transition from preschool to primary school is a critical period characterized by adaptation difficulties for a significant number of children. Although play is considered a key context for the development of self-regulation, intrinsic motivation and other abilities necessary for successful school adaptation, its specific role in this process remains understudied. This longitudinal study examined the relationship between play deficits at age 5 and school adaptation outcomes in first grade. The sample comprised 157 first graders (52% boys) who were assessed at age 5 (nonverbal intelligence and ability to play alone) and again at age 7 (the age at which children typically start first grade in the Russian educational system) using the Brief School Adjustment Scale (BSAS). A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the inability to play alone at age 5 significantly predicted lower overall school adaptation at age 7 (β = −0.107, p = 0.034) and, notably, lower academic engagement (β = −0.244, p = 0.003), after controlling for the child's sex, age, language proficiency, nonverbal intelligence, maternal education and family income. The effects on other dimensions of school adaptation (school rule-following, psychological well-being and peer relations) were non-significant. These findings are discussed from a cultural-historical perspective, suggesting that solitary play serves as a behavioral marker of the internal plan of action and specifically contributes to academic engagement rather than to rule-following, psychological well-being or social interaction.