First minister backs drive to promote early years literacy

Scotland’s first minister met a playgroup full of kids to raise awareness of a national literacy campaign.

The first minster turned up at Gorbals Library, in her own constituency, to promote Read On. Get On, a Save the Children-led campaign promoting the importance of reading in the early years.

Its Bookcase Tour visits libraries encouraging parents and children to read more and make better use of lending services.

A coalition of charities and organisations are involved in the drive, including the Scottish Library Information Service, the Scottish Book Trust and Scottish Business in the Community.

Together they aim to get every child reading well by the age of 11, believing that reading is the key to unlocking a child’s full potential and is a route out of poverty for many of Scotland’s poorest children.

Nicola Stugeon said: “I’m very pleased to support this campaign.

“Reading can open up a whole new world to children and it’s great to see children in my constituency benefitting from the Bookcase Tour.”