Glasgow City:

Hilltop Nursery

Dunard Nursery Class

Renfrewshire:

Bridge of Weir ELCC

Abbey Nursery

Mossvale ELC

St Mary's Pre-school Class

Little Flowers Nursery

Hillview ELC

Glendee ELC

Bookbug Session Leader Training - (online)

Bookbug Session Leader Training - MS Teams - Thurs 7 and 14 May 2026 Tickets, Thursday, May 7 from 2 pm to 5:30 pm GMT+1 | Eventbrite

Please note - participants must be able to join us for both sessions (Thursday 7 and Thursday 14 May), in order for their training to be valid. 

You can find out more about the impact of past appeals and how to get involved this Christmas here:

Scottish Book Trust - Christmas Appeal

Currently we have:

39 Accepted

3 In Progress

2 Starting Soon

As an ELC pilot setting you are more than welcome to print and display the poster and use the logo/email banner to share with everyone that - 'We Are Working Towards being a Reading Schools ELC'

• Forfar ELCC

• Southmuir Pre-school Class

• Cortachy Pre-school Class

• Playspaces

• Little Leapers

• Inverbrothock ELC 

Learn new songs and rhymes as a staff?

Let children access it themselves?

Sensory Stories Fund - Scottish Book Trust - similarly this one opens in September but good to keep on your radar. 

National Lottery Awards for All Scotland | The National Lottery Community Fund

Tesco Stronger Starts - https://tescostrongerstarts.org.uk/

2025 Better World Books Literacy Grants | New & Used Books from Better World Books - They will also give you donations of picture books if you are able to collect or pay for the postage. Their warehouse is in Dunfermline.

https://childrensbookproject.co.uk/receive-books/

Bookbug Training - Free Early Years Courses - Scottish Book Trust

• First Friends: Colours by Mk Smith Despres

• Schmoof by Heidi McKinnon

• Thunderboots by Naomi Jones and Rebecca Ashdown

• Unicorn Post by Emma Yarlett

• The Dangerous Pet Lover's Guide to Dragons by Lindsay Hirst and Alice McKinley

• Robin Hood by Bethan Woolvin

• Goodnight Starry Night by Joseph Coelho

• Hello Bunny! by Sharon King-Chai

• Coorie Doon by Jackie Kay

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Look forward to seeing the rest of you in 2026!

13th January - Webinar: Introduction to the new home learning environment (HLE) guidance | National Literacy Trust

20th January - Early Years CPD Webinar | National Year Of Reading | National Literacy Trust

Your energy, creativity, and love of stories, songs and rhymes have made this year sparkle for your little learners and their families. 

We hope that you all find time to relax, read books, laugh, and enjoy what the festive season brings for you. 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas filled with joy, and a New Year that’s even more brilliant than the last!

Also, don't forget to check out the range of Scots songs and stories on the Bookbug app.

You will find crowd-pleasers like ‘The Jeely Piece Song’ and ‘Ally Bally Bee’ alongside lesser-known Scots songs.

ELC Settings should provide physical areas for staff discussion, e.g. an interactive display board in communal areas

Play can have a vital role in supporting young children’s understanding and enjoyment of stories.

In this free online seminar with Dr Samantha Jayne Hulston from The Open University, we will explore how play-based approaches can be used to support young children at the start of their reading journeys.

Share with parents to allow them to order a pack for home: Early Years Sensory Discovery Pack - victaparents.org.uk

I've already heard from a number of ELC settings that plans are afoot 🙂

Remember, you don't need to do something every day or even at all!

However, here is a reminder of the themes and suggested activities for ELC pilot settings.  If you do choose to participate, we would love it if you could post a comment and/or a photo here.

Some of our colleagues in schools have started doing this already. Here is a link to the main Reading Schools Week padlet page to check out what they have been up to. 

On Friday, I sent out an invitation to access the link to the pre-recorded Bookbug session. If you didn't receive this, or are having trouble accessing it then please get in touch. 

Have a wonderful week!  

If you did participate, please take a moment (no more than 5 minutes) to complete the Reading Schools Week ELC Impact Survey using the link below:

Reading Schools ELCs Reading Schools Week (February 2026) Impact Survey – Fill in form

We’d also love to hear your Reading Schools Week stories. A big thank you to Todholm ELC and Bridge of Weir ELC (Renfrewshire) for already sharing their photos and comments on our Reading Schools ELC Padlet page.

If you have photos, comments or learner quotes to celebrate, please add them to this Padlet—or send them to me and I can post them for you.

We explored The Smartest Giant in Town story box, built houses for the 3 little pigs and designed bridges for the 3 billy goats gruff.

Celebrating World Book Day In Your School – Scottish Book Trust - Scottish Book Trust

World Book Day - Scottish Book Trust

Yesterday I had the joy of spending time at St Anne's PS and ELC in Renfrewshire, and I left with the loveliest surprise… a ‘blind date with a book’ and a little goodie bag packed with treats to enjoy while I read! They must somehow know about my love for Tunnock’s Snowballs, coffee, and book‑themed stickers. 😍📚☕

Staff had been gifted their own blind date books and goodie bags during their recent inset day — such a thoughtful, creative way to encourage everyone to take time for themselves, enjoy reading, and celebrate Valentine’s Day. 💝

Thank you again for the warm welcome and the gorgeous surprises — moments like these truly make my day!

Professional development – scottishbooktrust

Come and discover inspiring texts to introduce in your setting!

Join Scottish Book Trust for this Book Discovery session to explore a range of contemporary texts you could use when working with children at Early Level which could be used as part of an interdisciplinary play-based approach to learning.

Research suggests a rich and wide knowledge of contemporary children’s literature and other texts can help nurture reading for pleasure. This session aims to support the development of this and explore how you can use children’s literature as a stimulus for an IDL play-based approach to learning.

This research-informed session will take you through text recommendations; share adaptable activity ideas for use alongside the texts; give opportunity for discussion with other learning professionals; and signpost to further resources to support you.

Topics explored will include:

• Space

• Minibeasts

• Forces

• People who help us

• Festivals

If you'd like to attend, we'd encourage you to bring along a title that you would like to share with other participants on this theme. We can't wait to share our curated text suggestions with you and to hear about your selected choices.

This session is suitable for those working in primary schools and ELC settings and student teachers/EYPs. It will be held as a meeting on Microsoft Teams. For the best experience, we recommend joining the webinar using the Microsoft Teams app rather than using the browser.

Further resources and information is also available from the Gaelic Books Council.

Thank you

They are based in Edinburgh and are keen to help the Polish speaking community in Scotland engage in reading for pleasure in their heritage language. They may be able to help with Polish children's books and other guidance to support learners and families.

Looking forward to seeing those of you who can join us tonight for this informal session. There's still time to register for a place. Please use the link above to do so.

'It's a lovely book that I feel embodies what we do as early years practitioners. It's how we treasure children's art and the way that can boost their self-esteem. I just love it.

I have been trying to introduce it at a learning evening event but it has been cancelled twice. I then introduced it to all the rooms during our recent parent Stay and Play sessions in each of the rooms, and gave sticky dots to the parents to use for completing the A3 attitude surveys. It was great.'

Thank you for sharing this recommendation and example of good practice, Jo.

Key documents and programme guidance

Resource recommendations

Professional learning and training opportunities

Pilot project updates

Want to share your thoughts on Reading Schools Week? It's not to late to submit your feedback: Reading Schools ELCs Reading Schools Week (February 2026) Impact Survey – Fill in form

It gave us an opportunity to focus on a story book that the children voted and plan for experiences around this.

Seeing our children taking on the role of storytellers following a special storytelling visit. Celebrating how many volunteers had taken time out of their busy days to visit us at nursery to participate in special storytelling sessions.

The children enjoyed creating their own characters and creating the story telling chair. The book swap promoted parental engagement and the children enjoyed sharing stories.

We really enjoyed participating in the Book Bug session with Paul from Book Bug.

Sharing a bedtime story through our online learning platform every night there was lots of lovely feedback about this. Giving the children challenges.

Increased parental engagement, seeing the children independently engaging with books.

The children enjoyed creating their own stories in a group.

We continuously offer opportunities for all our children to interact with stories using a wide range of resources. From puppets, large books, visiting school library, skoob mobile visits to loose parts props, etc., We have observed that our children interact differently when engaging with 'books' and storytelling. Reading Schools week gave everyone a boost to read and interact more with literacy and well being experiences.

Observing the joy and enthusiasm children have for books, stories and songs. Reflection for staff on how much we use songs and books as part of our daily interactions and quality spaces and how this is not an add on for our children or staff. We were fortunate to get an invite to see Julia Donaldson for the reveal of Gruffalo Granny at the Mitchell Library. Some of our children managed to attend - this brought a wealth of conversation and discussion about the author and all her books.

Please consider us as your nominated charity, when the opportunity arises. Thank you.

Would you like to win a copy?

Enter our competition by 31 March for your chance to win one of five free copies!

Check out our fab selection of beautifully illustrated books to share with your wee one.

A fantastic selection of books are available to choose from! (Please note we have a limited stock of each title). Customers may order one free book per child in their family, with postage payable.

You can explore resources and articles linked to the 2026 World Book Day books on our website.

It is hugely beneficial to have one (or more) members complete the Bookbug Session Leader training. This gives you much greater flexibility for arranging Bookbug session regularly for the children, and their families (where possible).

Don't forget that there is Bookbug Session Leader online training in May available exclusively for staff from the ELC pilot settings.

There are also other Bookbug Session Leader training and refreshers

(Online and in person)available.

Bookbug Session Leader Training - MS Teams 

Mon 23 Feb and Mon 2 March 2026, 9.30am-1pm 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1972539717394?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please note - participants must be able to join us for both sessions (Mon 23 Feb and Mon 2 Mar), in order for their training to be completed. 

Thursday 26 March - 5pm

Tuesday 21 April - 5pm

Join us for our Bookbug bag gifting webinar to help support those who gift the Bookbug Explorer bags. Our fantastic Early Years Trainers and Early Years practitioner guests will introduce to the new 2026 Explorer Bookbug Bag contents and give you some ideas on how to make the most of a bag gifting experience for children in your care. 

We'll be covering:

• How tо make the most оf the Explorer Bag іn your setting

• Strategies for involving parents and children іn the gifting experience

• Creative ways tо use the bag's contents іn your daily activities

• Tips for maximising the impact оf this valuable resource

What is Bookbug Week?

Bookbug Week is a celebration of everything Bookbug. The main purpose of the week is to welcome new families who have never heard of Bookbug and haven’t been to a Bookbug Session before. We run special events across the country to encourage families to make new friends, learn new songs and rhymes, and come together to be part of the Bookbug community.

Visit the Bookbug Week page for ideas on how to make the most of this week.

Education Scotland is running a professional learning programme exploring our Learning to Read in the Early Years resource, bridging research and classroom practice to strengthen early literacy teaching.

Your participation in the programme will support you to:

• further develop effective, research-informed practice

• engage in self-evaluation

• connect and learn alongside colleagues.

Delivered via an online learning environment, Collaborative Spaces, the programme includes two live online sessions and ongoing professional dialogue within a supportive community of practice.

Total time commitment: Approx. 10 hours

Open to early years and primary educators (particularly Early and First Level).

Please register on the programme page for Learning to Read in the Early Years.

The programme will run over a period of 6 weeks between week beginning 27th of April and 1st of June.

The two online sessions will each last 90 minutes. Provisional dates are:

Tuesday 28 April 2026, 3:45pm to 5:15pm – Introduction to the Resource session

Tuesday 2 June 2026 3:45pm to 5:15pm – Sharing the Learning session

Deadline for sign up – Tuesday 17 March.

Brought to life by Euan Stevenson’s wonderful new composition and narrated by Scottish actor Jo Cameron Brown, Yoyo & The Little Auk is the perfect introduction to classical music and storytelling for children from Nursery to Primary 2 (age 3-6). Stewart Ennis’ original new story will allow you and your learners to explore themes of multiculturalism, migration and Scotland’s natural world.

The animated film is 20 minutes long.

World Book Night is brought to you by The Reading Agency and exists to bring people from all backgrounds together to inspire others to read more.

You can even earn a Blue Peter badge!

The Reading Agency offers book clubs sets of books for free in return for your reviews.

Laugh-out-loud fiction from Scottish writers - Scottish Book Trust

Spooky stories for adults - Scottish Book Trust

16 books to beat a reading slump - Scottish Book Trust

New Gaelic writing from our awardees and fellows - Scottish Book Trust

Great reads for Black History Month - Scottish Book Trust

Books about LGBTQ+ history - Scottish Book Trust

25 books you won't want to put down - Scottish Book Trust

....to name but a few!

Browse the full collection of our carefully selected book lists to find something new.

Do your learners, families and/or staff love the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Why not celebrate this much loved story and character on Very Hungry Caterpillar Day?

Did you know that you can access and create custom games linked to stories (or any topic you like) using Padlet Arcade?

Very helpful set of Padlet pages exploring how to develop best practice around anti-racism in Early Years settings.

This set of resources and guidance has been created in partnership with a racially diverse group of Early Level practitioners and educators in Scotland and tested with children in a number of settings. Guided by the Anti-Racist Curriculum Principles the materials support those working at Early Level and the children they work with to understand what an anti-racist curriculum can mean in practice.  

Designed for staff working directly with children and young people with additional support needs, in ASN or mainstream settings.

You will hear from seasoned professionals Catherine Lindow and Sarah Little, who have successfully integrated sensory storytelling into their practice. Explore the 'how' and 'why' behind their methods, as they share practical tips, valuable resources, and real-life experiences.

Join our Early Years Trainers in this hour-long interactive, informal workshop to explore how stories, songs and rhymes can support emotional regulation.

Find out how to share stories and get some new ideas. 

This will be a 60-minute webinar with an optional 15 minutes at the end for discussions / questions. The session is for anyone working with or caring for children in Primary 1 (also suitable for Early Years).

Each year a different National Section of IBBY has the opportunity to be the international sponsor of ICBD. It decides upon a theme and invites a prominent author from the host country to write a message to the children of the world and a well-known illustrator to design a poster. These materials are used in different ways to promote books and reading.

For further information about this day and how to celebrate it: UK Guide to International Children's Book Day 2026 | Remitly

Key professional learning and resources to help you create nurturing, inclusive environments where children with additional support needs can thrive. It includes both universal approaches and more targeted guidance to support and strengthen practice.

Who is this for?

This page is for all ELC practitioners, leaders and policy makers with an interest in, or responsibility for providing, high-quality ELC for every child.

Please feel free to print and display this poster for staff within your setting. The QR codes on the poster provide access to the most up to date information relating to:

Key documents and programme guidance

Resource recommendations

Professional learning and training opportunities

Pilot project updates

Bookbug

Contact for support

I had hoped to amend this in each plan but I think I was being a bit ambitious 😂

When an Evidence Plan comes in, a member of our Accreditation Team reviews each Key Area and shares supportive, encouraging feedback.

Sometimes we might need a little more evidence before awarding accreditation, but we’re always here to help you every step of the way 😍

Be in with the chance of winning this twisty and gripping locked room mystery crime thriller Stephen King has described as in the running for the best mystery of 2026 by answering the question at the bottom of this page by 11.59pm on 30 April 2026.

All entrants must reside in the UK and full terms and conditions apply.

Check out our competitions page to find more giveaways.

Vote for your favourite International Booker Prize-winning book.

International Booker would love to know which of the winning books since 2016 is your favourite and why, as well as offering one lucky person the chance to win a bundle of all 10 prize-winning books.

Find out more and vote for your favourite before Tuesday, 21 April 2026.

We all love to hear stories about ourselves – why not take a well-known folktale and set it in your own home or ELC with your family or friends as the characters! 

Helen Hendry, Samantha Hulston, Lucy Rodriguez Leon and Teresa Cremin from The Open University share research exploring the powerful benefits of sociable reading experiences.

Available at an introductory offer of 25% off.

This episode provides a great reminder of what we already do and can do to help children to flourish in the early years. It could be used very effectively as an audit tool for individual, group or whole settings.

This episode looks at the work of Carl Rogers and Mr Rogers, and discusses how their work is still relevant within early years practice today.

Entries close at 11.59pm on Thursday 30 April and winners will be chosen at random.

By providing your email below, you are giving us permission to contact you to let you know the outcome of this competition.

Only one entry per household is permitted.

Fancy a sneak peek? Have a look at what is inside the bag and how to get the most out of it.

Online

Anyone can view and join.

Microsoft Virtual Events: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/928a24e7-757a-4a74-af95-286c24f9cd39@b8caac85-def4-426b-9546-ecf28b79be16wered by Teams

We'll be covering:

• How tо make the most оf the Explorer Bag іn your setting

• Strategies for involving parents and children іn the gifting experience

• Creative ways tо use the bag's contents іn your daily activities

• Tips for maximising the impact оf this valuable resource

We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the very first Reading Schools ELC accreditation for the 2025/26 project!

This is a fantastic milestone and a testament to the whole team’s commitment to nurturing a strong reading culture, fostering a love of stories, and creating meaningful literacy experiences for every child. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication shone through in the breadth of evidence that you shared.

Thank you for leading the way and inspiring others across our community.

Psychology Today shared details of two studies which found that the average number of words spoken daily is dropping by around 300 words year-on-year. We know how important for children's language development it is to hear and share language and communication, so this shows that our work encouraging parents and carers to read, sing and rhyme with their children is ever-more important.

This event, hosted in partnership with 50 Things to Do and Peeple, promises to be an insightful session aimed at professionals working with families. Learn how play can strengthen the bond between parents and children, support early language and communication skills, and positively impact the wellbeing of the whole family.

This is an opportunity to exchange good practice, reflect on approaches that work, and gain practical insights into encouraging families to embrace playful, meaningful interactions as a foundation for children’s learning, communication, and holistic development.

This is really great progress! :) If anyone needs any support with getting started with this, please just let me know.

We have five copies of Seahorse is Furious by Morag Hood to give away. Just answer the question below for your chance to win! Entries close at 11.59pm on 30 June and winners will be chosen at random.

By providing your email below, you are giving us permission to contact you to let you know the outcome of this competition. Only one entry per household is permitted. Full terms and conditions apply.

We also offer a 20% multibuy discount when 3 or more sessions are bought at the same time. This is automatic and will discount at checkout.

They found that:

• 7 in 10 parents (70.2%) chatted with their young child at least daily in the previous week (i.e. responding to the child’s words or gestures), down from 90.3% in 2019.

• Half of parents (51.2%) played with their child daily, a drop of 25 percentage points since 2019 (76.2%).

• Fewer than 1 in 2 parents (45.9%) read with their child daily, a drop of 20.2 percentage points since 2019 (66.1%).

• Almost 3 in 10 parents (27.9%) painted, drew or made marks daily with their child, 11.2 percentage points lower than in 2019 (39.1%), but a 4.6 percentage point increase since 2024 (23.3%).

These findings also suggest that shared engagement in home learning activities is associated with parents’ confidence and understanding of how children’s language develops, as well as broader social and economic circumstances and access to local support.

The most commonly reported barrier was a lack of time due to work (44.8%), followed by the cost of activities (30.5%), limited availability of local activities (21.7%), cost of resources (17.6%) and a lack of additional support from family, friends and local services (17.5%).

Just to make you aware that it is our Reading Schools policy to review and feedback to schools and settings within no more than 15 days from the date of submission. So please don't panic if you don't hear back straight away. 

Please also remember to get in touch if you are going to need a bit more time (beyond 1st of June) to submit your Evidence Plan.

Wednesday, May 20  •  4 PM - 5:30 PM

It is also available in Gaelic: Coimhead air ar Còraichean (Let’s Explore Our Rights) - The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland

And in Scots: Let’s Explore Oor Richts - The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland

For those of you working with children with a range of different languages, there are excellent UNCRC symbols posters to support this: Learning about human rights Archives - The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland

• 90% of parents and carers report high levels of enjoyment from reading with their child. However, daily shared reading has fallen markedly since 2021. 

• Reading habits vary across groups in ways that reflect broader inequalities in time, routine stability, resources and caregiving support.

• Families want their children to spend more time reading, but many feel they require help to make this happen.

• Solutions include: establishing a shared reading habit in the first year of life, improving book access, and providing support to families that is integrated across the services they access. 

The Vision

To inspire and empower every person in Scotland to discover the joy and benefits of reading in every form, and to foster a culture of creativity, curiosity and collaboration through books and libraries.

Our strategy aims to support the vision by:

• Celebrating reading: Cultivating a nation of readers with reading viewed as a valuable and enjoyable activity for individuals of all ages and backgrounds.

• Promoting accessibility: Ensuring free access to a diverse range of reading materials in a variety of formats for all ages and abilities.

• Encouraging inclusivity, diversity and culture:

Celebrating and supporting language, cultural diversity, and making reading a shared and inclusive experience across all communities.

Supporting literacy: Enhance literacy levels across all age groups, with a particular focus on children and young people using Every Child a Library Member as the framework for children’s engagement with libraries.

• Fostering positive health and wellbeing: Recognising the role of reading in improving mental health and wellbeing.

• Building partnerships and fairer communities: Collaborating with authors, schools, libraries and organisations to create a vibrant reading culture.

• Innovative reader engagement: Sharing best practice and creative programming to engage readers in new and exciting ways.

We realise that it can be difficult to arrange for published authors to visit your setting.

Remember that there are other ways to tackle this:

1. Do you have any parents who are authors, illustrators or storytellers as part of their job or as a hobby?

2. You can access live and recorded author events on the Scottish Book Trust website: Authors Live - Scottish Book Trust

3. The Bookbug app and the Scottish Book Trust's online song and rhyme library offer a wealth of resources to allow children to listen, watch and join in with stories, songs and rhymes.

4. There are also many different voice recordings, video clips or interviews with authors online. Always remember to listen to/watch these first before showing them to your learners.

They’ll help you adapt some well-loved story books to make them more accessible for children and adults with additional needs.

• Pirate Stew – sensory resource
  by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell. All aboard to make an adventurous pirate stew from house-hold items!

• Hey You – sensory resource
  by Dapo Adeola. An empowering exploration of growing up black.

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – sensory resource
  by Charlie Mackesy. So many people love this book, we were delighted to create a sensory version.

• Lifesize Deadly Animals – sensory resource
  by Sophy Henn. This is a lot of fun for children who like their animals scary!

• Ready for Spaghetti – sensory resource
  by Michael Rosen and Polly Dunbar. A book full of poems that use fun sensory language – now add in the props!

• Granny Came Here On The Empire Windrush – sensory resource
  by Patrice Lawrence and Camilla Sucre. This is a great sensory introduction to Black British history.

• It’s Only One – sensory resource
  by Tracey Corderoy and Tony Neal. This resource is great if you are tackling themes of looking after the environment, litter and citizenship.

• The Teey Weeny Genie – sensory resource
  by Julia Donaldson and Anna Currey. All the usual fun from Julia Donaldson – now with added sensory props!

The Accessible Book & Story Festival is unique in its focus on books and stories for children with additional needs. Join us for a magical mix of inclusive family story sessions, practical skills-building workshops, sensory storytelling and an inspiring exploration of accessible books.

For families, teachers, librarians, publishers, authors and others.

The festival hub will be at the Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh in September 2026. Alongside this will be an outreach programme for adults and children with additional needs across Scotland.

The festival was started by My Kind of Book in 2024 in response to research we carried out with families and ASN schools.

You can also join Inclusive Books for Children (IBC) on 17 June for a free online panel hosted by IBC and author Rashmi Sirdeshpande, exploring why inclusive children’s books don’t always have to teach a lesson.

Our lives aren’t lived as learning points, and the books children read shouldn’t always have to be either.

We’ll be talking about humour, joy and the freedom to write inclusive stories that are, above all, a brilliant read.

Inclusive stories can be funny too Tickets, Wednesday, June 17  •  7 PM - 8:15 PM GMT+1 | Eventbrite

A chance to explore our unique accessible Playspace in Glasgow city centre. With live music, guest artists and new work from Soundplay!

At Soundplay Projects, we use technology to weave together music, sound, visuals and sensory materials to create carefully crafted spaces and objects that help people play and make music together.

These summer sessions at our Glasgow Playspace are a chance to play with sound, music and light in a relaxed environment. There will be live electronic/oboe from viral internet star Molly Sellors (@mollysellors); 'Musical Swing' a new intaractive work from Soundplay Artist-In-Residence Shiori Usui (@shiosui); as well as new pieces from Soundplay Projects to explore

There are 3 slots: a relaxed slot for people with additional needs from 10.30-11.30m

Then 2 further drop-in sessions at 12-1.30pm and 2-3.30 pm

As the event is funded, tickets are free but please only book if you are coming: if you can't make it, cancel your ticket so someone else can come in your place. Please reserve a ticket for each person coming, eg. 3 tickets for 1 adult, 2 children.

Photos by Tiu Makkonen

Supported by Glasgow Life's 2026 Festival Fund

Soundplay Projects use technology to weave together music, sound, visuals and sensory materials to create carefully crafted spaces and objects that help people play and make music together.

These sessions at their Glasgow Playspace are a chance to play with sound, music and light in a relaxed environment. There will be live electronic/oboe from viral internet star Molly Sellors (@mollysellors); new intaractive work from Soundplay Artist-In-Residence Shiori Usui (@shiosui) as well as new pieces from Soundplay Projects to explore.

There are 3 slots: a relaxed slot for people with additional needs from 10.30-11.30m

Then 2 further drop-in sessions at 12-1.30pm and 2-3.30 pm

We ask for a small donation for the tickets: please reserve a ticket for each person coming, eg. 3 tickets for 1 adult, 2 children.

Photos by Tiu Makkonen

Supported by Glasgow Life's 2026 Festival Fund

Co-written with pupils from Leuchars Primary School, the story reflects real experiences of leaving the patch, adjusting to new environments, and navigating feelings of belonging and uncertainty.

Through Max’s journey, young readers can see their feelings represented, begin to make sense of change, and feel reassured that they are not alone.

On this page, you’ll find the story brought to life through an animated read-aloud and a range of playful, supportive resources for use at home, in Early Years settings and in the classroom.

Early Years – ScotsHoose Yaldi

Our accreditation team now has the exciting task of reviewing these and we are already loving reading your comments, quotes and observations and looking at your photos and videos!

For nurseries, schools and families looking for accessible storytelling materials, we have collated a list of businesses, organisations and charities where you might find high quality purchasable resources and free guides, including some of our own resources. You can apply for funds to purchase some of the resources mentioned on this list or others of your choice through our Sensory Stories Fund.

This fund provides a £400 grant for schools and groups working with children and young people with additional support needs to promote a love of stories in their setting.

Join us on Wednesday 24 June, 2–3pm, for an online webinar led by Mary Rose Brady on: ‘The secret world of scribbles’.

This webinar offers an understanding of children’s drawing development and the vital role art making plays in growth.

Designed to support practitioners to feel more confident in using art in early years settings, this workshop is aimed at professionals working with young children, either as a childminder, in nurseries, schools or ELCs.

Book your place for this art-tastic webinar, today. Don’t forget your multi-buy discount to purchase tickets for three or more of our webinars or workshops and save 20%!

This workshop explores how early shared reading strengthens bonding, supports brain development, and fosters​ a lifelong love​ оf books. 

Gain practical tips and book recommendations​ tо build​ a nurturing reading routine from bump ​and beyond.

Join our Early Years Trainers in this hour-long interactive, informal workshop to explore how to share stories with babies.

Find out how best to model and share  books and get some new ideas. 

Bring along a book of your own choice to share in a small group discussion and leave inspired to share stories.

This will be a 60-minute webinar with an optional 15 minutes at the end for discussions / questions.

Primarily aimed at those working with or parents/carers of bumps or babies, this workshop will benefit anyone wanting to explore and share books from pregnancy and beyond.

The Sensory Stories Summer Roadshow is bringing live author events to children with additional support needs in Scotland during the summer holidays.

The events feature three incredibly talented, creative authors and storytellers who will visit your setting and hold sessions that are tailored to the specific needs of your group. The authors will engage with the children through sensory storytelling or using props, music, and movement to create a truly immersive experience.

• Marion Kenny, July 2026, your setting in Glasgow

• Gerry Durkin, July 2026, your setting in South Lanarkshire

• Renita Boyle, July 2026, your setting in Dumfries and Galloway

Entries close at 11.59pm on Sunday 31 May and winners will be chosen at random. By providing your email below, you are giving us permission to contact you to let you know the outcome of this competition.

To make sure you can apply when suits you best, there will be a series of deadlines throughout the year up until our final deadline of 20 November 2026. View panel dates and deadlines below.

Why apply?

Live Literature makes author events affordable.

• The author is paid £210 plus expenses per session

• We cover £120 of the author's fee, and all of their expenses, within set guidelines

• After the event takes place, Scottish Book Trust pays the author everything that they are owed directly

• Scottish Book Trust then invoices you for a set contribution of £90 plus VAT per session

• Events can take place in person or remotely, allowing you to be flexible when planning

  
  

Alongside financial support, the team at Scottish Book Trust can be on hand with help and advice for planning and promoting your session.

You will hear our decision within two weeks of the first panel meeting following your application – dates are listed below.

Free to join and designed to fit around busy schedules, the Challenge supports educators to find new books, fresh ideas and practical inspiration they can take back into the classroom and share with young readers.

Top tips:

• Begin reading to your child immediately

• Read to your child at least five days per week

• Read books multiple times

  
  

Snuggle, ask questions, notice letters, make sounds, have fun!

Here are a few suggestions to encourage good reading habits at each stage. You will also find books being read aloud, which you may wish to share with your child.

“The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.”
-National Commission on Reading

We’d also love it if you could fill in this survey about your Bookbug Week experience (you could win a £50 book token)!

We hope you can join us next May to celebrate Bookbug in space.

You might also like our top picture books featuring dads and father figures(this link will open in a new window) or our list celebrating mums.

This short survey takes just 5-10 minutes to complete and aims to create an authentic snapshot of Scottish fatherhood, listening to how dads have felt over the past year and what matters to them.

This webinar is designed for early years teachers, practitioners and childminders, focusing on what a reading-rich curriculum looks like in day-to-day practice. Through concrete examples and strategies, it will support educators in the early years community to use stories with intention to strengthen teaching, deepen learning and build children’s language during the earliest years.

'As part of our Early Years series for the National Year of Reading, Opening the Door to Reading at Home invites us to rethink what genuine partnership with parents looks like. If parents were truly equal partners in early reading, how might our practice shift? What would change in the way we communicate, involve and empower families? This webinar explores the crucial role practitioners play in shaping those relationships and creating meaningful, shared reading experiences at home.'

What to expect:

It will give practitioners fresh inspiration for bringing poetry, performance and playful language into their everyday practice, helping to build their own confidence with poetry which in turn strengthens children’s confidence too. A visiting poet will also share live examples and lead simple, relatable activities that practitioners can take straight back into their settings.

The session will focus upon how playful language encourages children to experiment with words and sounds, helping them build confidence in both reading and writing. It will explore the role of poetry in supporting emotional expression and well‑being for children and adults, and share practical, relatable poetry and language activities that practitioners can take away and use immediately in their own settings

In February 2026, we marked the very first Reading Schools Week, a five-day celebration of the fantastic work happening in Reading Schools (and Reading Schools ELC pilot settings) across the country. It was a great success, with hundreds of schools and over 100,000 pupils taking part.

Reading Schools Week is open to all schools in Scotland and will now take place annually in November. It is also open to Reading Schools ELC settings that have taken part in any phase of the pilot programme.

As a Reading Schools ELC setting, there is no need to formally register to take part. I will share details of themes, suggested activities, and opportunities for staff, learners and families as they become available.

Three years after the introduction of the Infant Pledge, this event will support people working with babies, parents, and families to deepen their commitment to listening to infants’ voices within the wider context of whole family support.

It will place babies at the centre while recognising the vital role of families and communities, showcasing how services listen to and respond to the views of infants and babies, uphold their rights, and embed relational, family‑focused approaches in practice.

Through expert presentations, the sharing of best practice and reflective learning, we aim to share how services are recognising and responding to babies' distinct  needs and vulnerabilities in the development and implementation of services.

This event will be free to attend and will be suitable for all practitioners working with babies and families in both statutory services and the third sector.

• Prompts you can use to consider the accessibility of your library or reading space

• Best practice examples from schools and settings in Scotland

• Suggestions for including and engaging your pupils

  
  

For more information on supporting pupils with additional support needs, see our Sensory Storytelling programme, as well as the Disability and Neurodiversity section of our website.

This grant aims to provide books and sensory storytelling materials for pupils with additional support needs, their teachers, parents and carers to benefit from. Groups can also use the grant towards an event with a storyteller to bring sensory storytelling to life.

You can apply if you're working with pupils with additional support needs under 18 years old in Scotland in early years, schools, or further education settings, as well as residential units or other organisations standing in place of school for young people not in mainstream education.

This programme is generously funded by the Mohn Westlake Foundation.

Key Findings

• Participating in the book-gifting scheme prompted parents to read to their infants earlier and more often. 
  The scheme successfully educated parents on the specific types of books best suited for an infant’s developmental stage.
   

• The initiative acted as a catalyst, successfully encouraging parents who were not previously library members to join their local library.
   

• A parent’s own enjoyment of reading was strongly linked to how often they read with their infant and how many books they kept at home.
   

• Parents who enjoyed reading expressed stronger hopes and positive expectations for their child's future enjoyment of books.
   

• The study demonstrates that free book distribution is an effective, practical intervention for closing literacy resource gaps in disadvantaged communities.

Key Findings

• After receiving just 10 books, children in the programme are at least 4 times more likely to show stronger early literacy skills like vocabulary and phonics.
   

• Enrolled children are 9 times more likely to be read to 4 or more days a week compared to non-enrolled children.
   

• Programme participants are 9 times more likely to show interest in books and 15 times more likely to actively join in during storytime.
   

• Caregivers in the programme are 7 times more likely to describe images, 6 times more likely to count images, and 4 times more likely to let their child hold the book.
   

• In the UK and Ireland, children in the programme are 5.5 times more likely to spend time reading on their own.
   

• Households enrolled in the UK and Ireland see their average children's book count increase by 30 books.
   

• Australian data shows that caregivers who read to their children daily from birth are 5 times more likely to maintain daily reading habits by the time the child turns 3.

Angus Council:

Hayshead Playgroup

Stepping Stones Playgroup

Renfrewshire Council:

Mossvale ELCC

St Mary's Pre-school Class

So here is a huge congratulations to the following ELC settings that have now achieved Reading Schools ELC accreditation:

Angus Council:

Andover Pre School Class

Chimes Playgroup

Cortachy Pre School Class

Forfar Early Learning and Childcare Centre

Inverarity Pre School Class

Northmuir Pre School Class

Southmuir Pre School Class

Warddykes Pre School Class

Glasgow City Council:

Chesters Nursery School

Drumchapel Early Years Centre

Hilltop Nursery School

Molendinar Family Learning Centre

Renfrewshire Council:

Bridge of Weir ELC

Spateston ELC

It’s designed to support all members of the early years workforce in sharing the National Chatting Together messages with families to empower them to get chatting, together.

In this gently suspenseful book, Penny and Daddy’s train ride takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious passenger is revealed. But is that a furry paw or a stripy glove…?

Enter by 31 July for your chance to win a copy.

All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer one simple question by 31 July.

We’d love to hear from you, and make this resource even better for you all! Complete our quick and easy survey.

Of course, the brilliant Bookbug App is always on hand for songs, rhymes and stories whenever you need them.

Bookbug Sessions are free story, song and rhyme sessions for children aged 0-5 years and their mums, dads and carers. Sessions last around 30 minutes and everyone is welcome!

Going to a Bookbug Session is a great way for families to spend time bonding with each other and meeting other families in their local area. Bookbug Sessions can also help to build children’s social skills and support their speech and language development. Most importantly, Bookbug Sessions are fun!

Check out 11 great titles for starting school, featuring gentle, reassuring stories with familiar friends like Charlie and Lola and Spot the Dog.

And be sure to check out our starting school book bundle offer.

• Before reading begins: the six skills that grow readers on 1 September

• Play and joy: essentials for life with Ben Kingston-Hughes on 16 September

• Sharing stories with Gaelic on 24 September

Here in Scotland, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to book festivals. From the Borders to the Hebrides and everywhere in between, the calendar of annual literary events is jam-packed, spanning genre, audience and format. Read on to discover some of our favourites.

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk In-Person Training Day Inverness - 23 September 2026

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk In-Person Training Day - Aberdeen - 7 October 2026

Dr Suzanne Zeedyk In-Person Training Day - Glasgow - 21 October 2026

In-person training days provide a hands-on, immersive learning experience, allowing you to engage directly with trainers and peers in a focused environment. They offer the opportunity for deeper discussions, networking, and immediate feedback, fostering collaboration and practical skill-building. 

By providing your email below, you are giving us permission to contact you to let you know the outcome of this competition.

To receive regular updates about the Bookbug programme, please sign up for one of our exciting newsletters.

About Bart is Different by Stephane Barroux

'Bart has always been different to his brothers and sisters. When he starts school, he gets into trouble for not paying attention and spinning patterns with his thread. But his friend gives Bart the confidence to be himself and embrace his amazing talent. An adorable story about celebrating difference.'

– Kirsty Sinclair, Early Years Operations Manager