The First Minister's Reading Challenge is run by the Scottish Book Trust and aims to get youngsters reading for pleasure

An initiative which gets school pupils reading has been extended.

The First Minister’s Reading Challenge aims to raise attainment through getting youngsters to read for pleasure.

Run by the Scottish Book Trust and funded by the Scottish Government, the scheme encourages children to read as many books as possible, with various awards to recognise progress.

The programme was introduced in 2016, and last year three quarters of Scottish primary schools took part.

Nicola Sturgeon announced that the scheme would be extended to include secondary schools, libraries and community groups while on a visit to Riverside Primary School in Stirling.

She said: “I want to ensure the reading challenge continues to grow and have a positive impact on children so I have accepted all of the recommendations of the Reading Challenge Advisory Group which are based on the evaluation and look forward to another successful year of reading.”

The group reported that the challenge had been overwhelmingly positively received, and had significantly increased the amount of youngsters reading for pleasure in Scotland.