Jump to: About | Benefits of registration | How to take part | Resources and inspiration | Inspiring Classrooms | CLPL | Primary school Challenges | Technical support

We believe that reading has the power to change lives and that developing a love of reading in childhood can have a huge impact on educational attainment and future wellbeing. 

The First Minister’s Reading Challenge aims to help children and young people between the ages of 5 and 18 develop a love of reading. We’re supporting schools, libraries and communities across Scotland to give every child in Scotland the opportunity to experience the benefits – and the fun – of reading for pleasure. 

Registration for the First Minister's Reading Challenge is now closed for 2022–23. 

Who can take part

All primary schools in Scotland can register to take part, and the Reading Challenge is also open to secondary schools, community groups and public libraries. 

Benefits of registration

Registration for the First Minister’s Reading Challenge allows you to:

• Order reading passports for individual participants
• Access our huge range of downloadable learning resources for use in the classroom
• Apply for funding to have an event with an author or storyteller in your setting
• Submit your pupil reading journeys to us for a chance to win a national award and attend our Celebration event

How to take part

1. Register your school
   A key contact should register the school for the challenge, and order any passports. Registration is quick and easy. If you were signed up last year, your key contact just needs to log in and opt in to this year's challenge. If you have any issues with registration, please contact us.
2. Ask staff to sign up
   Once the school has been registered by a key contact, all staff can register for teacher accounts with your school and register their own classes.
3. Get reading!
   You can browse our resource library and our blog for ideas and inspiration.
4. Enter the Challenge
   We want to hear all about your class and pupil reading journeys! For further guidance on how to submit for the Challenges, check out our dedicated resource for primary schools.

Resources and inspiration

In our resources section we have a variety of downloadable and adaptable resources available for staff and pupils, including guides to building and sustaining a reading culture, quizzes, PowerPoints to use in the classroom and activities you can do with your class. Resources can be filtered by type and theme, making it as easy as possible to find something that works for you.

Everyone who registers for the Challenge will also be sent regular email updates about taking part, full of support and ideas. You may unsubscribe from these emails at any time without affecting your participation in the First Minister's Reading Challenge.

Workshops Fund

The Reading Challenge Workshops Fund offers funding to invite an author, illustrator, storyteller or poet into your classroom to work with pupils and to buy books or other resources to make the most of the visit. All primary schools taking part in the Reading Challenge can apply for this fund, and the deadline to apply is 17 November 2022.

CLPL

Visit our CLPL page for details of upcoming webinars and local training sessions to help you make the most of the Reading Challenge and give you opportunities to connect with other schools taking part.

Primary school challenges

We’ve developed five Challenges that primary schools can enter, but you can also come up with your own and develop personalised Reading Challenges for pupils. Submissions will open in 2022 and the deadline to enter a challenge is Thursday 27 April 2023.

Classroom Inspiration Challenge

This Challenge celebrates the progress your whole class has made to promote a love of reading, and the steps you’ve taken to read for pleasure more often. It can include everything you've done throughout the school year related to books and reading!

Gaelic Medium Education Reading Journey

Reading as a skill and reading for pleasure can look slightly different for children in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) and so this challenge recognises the progress GME schools or units have made when developing a love of reading in their pupils.

School Reading the Most Books

This is an opportunity for pupils to broaden their reading habits and experience a wide range genres, authors and styles. While reading widely isn’t possible or motivating for every pupil, there will be many pupils and classes who’d love the idea of reading as many books as they can.

Pupil Reading Journey

This Challenge is aimed at children and young people themselves, and can be entered by a teacher or librarian on behalf of an individual. We want to hear about the progress that a particular pupil has made on their reading journey.

Pupil Reading the Most Books

This Challenge is for individuals who want to read more and broaden their reading habits. Unlike the School Reading the Most Books Challenge, this can be done by specific pupils and doesn’t need to involve the whole school.

Personalised Reading Challenges

We hope that you are inspired by the challenges we’ve set but we know that many pupils will be motivated by challenges that are personal to them. Use our resources to find ideas for personal reading challenges and downloadable certificates to celebrate each pupil’s achievements.
 

Technical support

Registration

If your school has participated in the Reading Challenge before, your key contact can opt-in to this year's challenge quickly and easily. Just log in to your account and select yes when prompted to confirm you want to take part again.

If you need to change to a new key contact, you can contact us by email at readingchallenge@scottishbooktrust.com.

If your school hasn't taken part before, you can register them for this year's challenge. If you're not sure, use our new organisation check tool.