Gift packs for all P2 and P3 children

Every P2 and P3 child in Scotland will receive a pack containing books, games and other materials to help improve their literacy and numeracy skills.

Education Secretary John Swinney launched the first packs at Towerbank Primary School, as part of the Read, Write, Count campaign delivered by Scottish Book Trust which encourages parents to actively engage in their child’s learning journey.

An estimated 128,000 packs, and another 1,600 in Gaelic, are available for pupils in the age group in the run up to Book Week Scotland (21 – 27 November), a national celebration of books and reading.

Mr Swinney said:

“Delivering equity and excellence across Scotland’s education system is the Scottish Government’s defining mission and I remain firmly committed to substantially closing the attainment gap during the lifetime of this parliament.

“Read, Write, Count is about more than just improving attainment though. We know there is a direct link between strong family learning environments and progress in reading, writing and counting which is why these packs are specifically designed to encourage family engagement and help parents and carers become more involved in their child’s learning journey.

“By forging a stronger connection between how our young people learn and play both at home and in school we hope to inspire a lifelong love of learning that will ensure every child in Scotland has the ability to reach their full potential.”

Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust said:

“Parents are the first, and most vital, teacher any child has. While schools in Scotland give children a great education, learning doesn’t start and stop at the school gates.

“Doing fun things with your children is one of the great things about being a parent - it makes you and your children happy and helps build stronger bonds. These packs have therefore been carefully designed to provide a fun learning experience for pupils both at school and at home, supporting parents of children in primaries 2 and 3 who want to take a more active role in their children’s learning.”

A one year partnership with Save the Children will also see engagement sessions take place in more deprived communities to ensure parents are confident in using the additional Read, Write, Count resources.

• Read, Write Count gift packs are free to all P2 and P3 children in Scotland. This is an extension of the established Bookbug bag programme which go to all P1 children. http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/bookbug
• Read, Write, Count is a Scottish Government-led campaign which aims to improve key numeracy and literacy skills among young primary school children across Scotland. It builds on the success of the PlayTalkRead campaign which is aimed at parents and carers of pre-school children. http://playtalkread.scot/
• With increasing time pressures on families, Read, Write, Count highlights easy activities built around everyday things families are already doing. Whether it's going to the shops, travelling to school or at mealtimes, Read, Write, Count offers parents and carers simple ideas that will help children do their best at school.
• Parents can visit www.readwritecount.scot or join Read, Write, Count on Twitter (@ReadWriteCount) and Facebook (Facebook.com/ReadWriteCount) for tips, activities and ideas that make reading, writing and counting with children an easy, fun and positive experience.
• Scottish Book Trust is a national charity changing lives through reading and writing, and supports both the Read, Write, Count campaign and the Bookbug gifting programme as well as a range of other literacy initiatives. www.scottishbooktrust.com @scottishbktrust www.facebook.com/scottishbktrust

Contact: Jenny Scott 0131 244 2939