On 1st September the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon in cooperation with the Scottish Book Trust, launched the ‘First Minister’s Reading Challenge’. The challenge is for Scottish school children in Primary 4-7 and is intended to encourage reading for entertainment and to promote a life long love of literature.

There are a range of challenges to encourage children to go on their own reading journeys, explore different types of books and celebrate personal reading achievements. The Reading Challenge aims to support schools and communities to develop reading cultures.

The First Minister’s Reading Challenge will run from September 2016 until May 2017 and there will be a celebration event in June 2017, where good practice from across the country will be showcased and prizes awarded. Details of the various challenges can be found here.

This week all children in Primary 4-7 will be provided with their own Reading Passport in which they can track their ‘reading journey’. Updates about our progress throughout this challenge will be shared at regular intervals.

More information for parents about the reading challenge is available on the reading challenge website along with some hints and tips on how to promote reading for enjoyment at home.