Celebrate Read Write Count with the First Minister in your library!
Through Read Write Count with the First Minister every P2 and P3 child in Scotland receives a free bag containing books, educational games and writing materials. As a library, there’s lots of ways to get involved, helping build connections with your local schools and community, and supporting families to borrow even more great books to read!
About Read Write Count
The Read Write Count bags are gifted by Scottish Book Trust through the Scottish Government’s Read Write Count campaign, with the goal of improving children’s literacy and numeracy skills, whilst also supporting families to read, play and bond together. Our hope is that the bags are part of a lifelong habit of reading, inspiring children and families to try new stories and books, and we can’t think of a better place to start than the library!
On Thursday 28 August, 4:30pm we have a free CLPL session on Read Write Count with the First Minister for Public Libraries that will go into more depth than this article. We’ll also upload a shortened recorded version to the Scottish Book Trust website.
Library sessions
Every year, we create a free downloadable library pack for each of the Read Write Count bags which contains ideas and inspiration for running a Read Write Count themed session in your library. These sessions make a great next step for families who might have aged out of Bookbug, or, if you already run regular story time sessions for children, you can adapt these ideas to suit your library.
We also have the option to receive a physical library pack containing the books from both the P2 and P3 bags as well as bookmarks, leaflets, posters and a set of shiny cards. For P2 and P3 children, the shiny cards can add a card to the deck of cards they will receive in their bag. You can post about them on social media encouraging families to visit and collect their card or give them out as part of a Read Write Count session.
To arrange a library pack being posted to you, you can fill in our online form on the Read Write Count library webpage (open from Wednesday 20 August, 2025). If you run out of shiny cards, you can also get in touch with us at readwritecount@scottishbooktrust.com.
Gifting
The Read Write Count bags are delivered directly to primary schools, and we encourage schools to hold a gifting event. Gifting the bags helps children feel more excited, and grown-ups at home more confident. A gifting can involve reading the books aloud, showing the families how to play the games, or choosing some of your favourite picture books to read next. You can find out more by reading our article on gifting the Read Write Count bags on the Scottish Book Trust website.
Libraries can work with their local schools to use the library as a venue for gifting. The bags arrive from September to October, and we encourage giftings to take place during Book Week Scotland in November. You can reach out ahead of time to start planning what shape you want your gifting to take. No matter what you do, hosting a gifting is a great way to reach children or families who may not have been to the library before and encourage them to make the most of everything you do!
Ongoing engagement
Sessions don’t have to be one off! If you’re working with young primary children, or would like to, you can use Read Write Count as a jumping off point for further sessions or engagement. You can create displays based on the Read Write Count titles, run more story or maths focused sessions, or support families with reading to their children.
Whatever you do, we’d love to hear from you! If you have any questions, or want to share your thoughts get in touch with us at readwritecount@scottishbooktrust.com.