1. The notes provided in this presentation are intended to provide clarity to the information on the slides. The notes and the slides are by no means prescriptive and can be adapted as you wish.

2. Read, Write, Count
a campaign to provide advice and materials to families to help raise attainment for all and to close the attainment gap
Read, Write, Count is a campaign by the Scottish Government, supported by Scottish Book Trust and Education Scotland.
It focuses on the importance of families, parents and carers in children’s education and aims to give advice and materials to help families get involved in their children’s learning.
Research tells us that if parents are involved in their child’s learning, their child does better in school. That applies to all parents – it doesn’t matter who they are or where they are from.
Read, Write, Count aims to contribute to two high-priority aims for education: raising attainment for all and closing the attainment gap.

3. Parental involvement matters
“A rich home learning environment can improve cognitive development for all children, regardless of their socio-economic background”
Tackling Inequalities in the Early Years: Key messages from 10 years of the Growing Up in Scotland study (2015)
“Parental involvement has a positive effect on children’s achievement even when the influence of background factors such as social class and family size have been taken into account.”
UK Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008)
“Family engagement in school has a bigger influence on a pupil’s achievement than socio-economic background, parents’ education level, family structure and ethnicity.”
Engaging with Families, review of research
The gap is well-evidenced.
But we also know how important parents are. There are many sources of evidence which tell us that parental involvement in learning has the potential to have a big impact on children’s learning. That evidence also tells us that effective parental involvement matters more than who those parents are or where they are from.

4. Read, Write, Count background
RWC builds on similar programmes in the Early Years, such as Bookbug and PlayTalkRead
Research shows the attainment gap can be narrowed by supporting parental engagement in learning, across all socio-economic groups
The focus is on family engagement – outwith formal schooling
Build a stronger bridge between home and school
Read, Write, Count takes all that evidence into account and is designed specifically to help parents to get involved in their child’s learning.
There are other programmes which have similar aims, such as Bookbug and PlayTalkRead, so we have strong foundations to build on. Read, Write, Count has been running in P1-3 for 2 years now and this year we are expanding to include P4-7 in 100 schools across Scotland.
Read, Write, Count focuses on helping parents to support their children’s learning in fun and everyday ways and therefore to help build bridges between home and school.

5. Read, Write, Count aims to
Help parents and carers to be confident enough to be involved in their child’s learning
Help parents and carers to understand why they are important in their child’s learning and how to get involved
Increase people’s use of their local library
Help to close the attainment gap between the most and least advantaged children in Scotland
Everyone wants the best for their children but sometimes they don’t know how to get involved, or worry that they’ll do harm if they get involved.
Read, Write, Count aims to build parents’ confidence, showing them they do have a role to play and giving them the tools they need to get involved.
We also want people to make use of their local libraries, where there are lots of books and other resources which parents and children can use together.

6. Read, Write, Count gift bags
Free gift bags to all Primary 1, 2 and 3 children in Scotland
Delivered to schools in Sept/Oct/Nov 2017
Containing books and materials for writing and counting
With information for parents and carers on how to use the bags with their children
Resources and activities designed to be age- and stage-appropriate and fun

7. P4 – 7 Home Kits Pilot Pilot for 100 schools across Scotland
Delivered to schools in Nov 2017
With information for parents and carers on how to use the items with their children
Resources and activities the same in all levels, with activity cards for each item with a range of difficulties
There are 100 schools across Scotland taking part in the P4-7 Home Kits pilot.
The boxes, which are full of numeracy and literacy rich items, will be delivered in November 2017.
It will be up to individual schools how they run the Home Kits project but they have the full support of the Scottish Book Trust team for any training or resources.

8. P4 – 7 Home Kits Contents
One 110 litre plastic storage box with clip locking lid and wheels
30 Plastic Wallets
7 sets of storytelling dice (3 dice in each pack)
7 digital pedometers with instructions
7 500ml clear measuring jugs
7 Digital cooking scales with large LCD display screen
7 sets of playing cards
4 sets of Tropical Triumph / Dominoes game
7 sets of multi sided dice (6 dice in a pack, 2 x 6 sided, 2 x 10 sided, 2 x 12 sided with each size dice in a different colour)
Set of 30 activity cards with suggested games, activities and instructions for each item
The following books:
Horrible Science: Really Rotton Experiments
Nick Arnold and Tony De Saulles
Rosie Revere Project Book
Andrea Beatty
The Arrival
Sean Tan
Nadiya Bake Me a Story
Nadiya Hussain
I am Malala
Malala Yousafzai
I'm a Python Programmer
Mac Wainewright
Weird World of Wonders: World War 2
Tony Robinson
Spirit of the Jungle
Bear Grylls
Brilliant Poems for Children
Paul Cookson
Flying Fergus 1
Chris Hoy
Black Dog
Levi Pinfold
Just the Right Size
Nicola Davies
Journey
Aaron Becker
Peg+Cat: The Race Car Problem
Jennifer Oxley and Peter Aronsson
The Tracy Beaker Trilogy
Jacqueline Wilson
How to Draw the world of Jacqueline Wilson
Nick Sharratt
Danger is Everywhere: A Handbook for Avoiding Danger
David O'Doherty and Chris Judge
Mad Iris and the Bad School report
Jeremy Strong
Stars Shall Be Bright
Catherine Macphail
Baby Aliens Got my Teacher
Pamela Butchart
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Spooky School
Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton
Mr Mingin (Mr Stink in Scots)
David Walliams

9. Read, Write, Count Resources
Advice and support for teachers (presentations, template letters and gifting advice)
Resources for teachers to use to support engagement throughout the year and make kit contents accessible for families
Read, Write, Count Home Kits are supported by advice, support and resources for teachers. These include:
Information about the contents of the Kits
Adaptable presentations to use with staff and parents to explain the campaign
Template letters which can be adapted and sent home to inform parents
Advice on gifting Read, Write, Count bags with a case study from a Fife primary school
Classroom and homework activities for each item
Support and training available from Scottish Book Trust

10. Discussion How will you run the Home Kits in your school?
How can you use the kits to engage with parents?
What extra resources might you need?

11. Thank you www.scottishbooktrust.com/readwritecount
Thank you for helping to deliver Read, Write, Count.
For more information about Read, Write, Count bags, visit or us at