National charity Scottish Book Trust has partnered with the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) to host a special free event for 300 school children to celebrate 10 years of Read Write Count, on Wednesday 20 August.
Read Write Count with the First Minister is a universal national book gifting programme for pupils in Primary 2 and 3 all over Scotland. Since 2015 over 2.5 million books have been gifted to children.
The book Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton was in the very first Read Write Count bag in 2015. The writer and illustrator duo will now host a special event at EIBF tomorrow at 11am. 300 school children will attend the free event with hundreds more watching on live stream across Scotland.
Research by Scottish Book Trust revealed that 85% of parents said that Read Write Count bags helped them to engage better with their children’s learning, while 90% of schools felt that gifting the bags had made a positive impact to their relationship with families.
One parent of brother Ollie, who received the first Read Write Count bag in 2015, and younger sister Elia, who will receive her own bag this year in Primary 2, commented: “We have always loved getting our Bookbug bags so when Ollie got his drawstring Read Write Count bag we were chuffed to have new books and games to use as a family!
“Now Elia will get her own P2 bag this year – we can’t wait!”
First Minister John Swinney said: “Books have the power to open our imagination to new worlds, which makes introducing reading from a young age so vitally important. We also know that nurturing positive relationships with reading supports improved wellbeing and attainment for children.
“Over the past ten years, the Read Write Count programme has played a vital role in supporting more children to access and take joy in reading, and it is more important than ever to recognise and celebrate this incredible milestone.”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “It is wonderful to mark the milestone and legacy of ten years of Read Write Count.
“Gifting books to children to enjoy with their families and carers is vital, helping to give them not only the best start in life but the lasting benefits that comes with having books at home.”
The event will also launch the books and contents of the 2025 Read Write Count bag, which will be distributed through schools during Book Week Scotland in November. Read Write Count with the First Minister is funded by Scottish Government.
