Education Minister Evarist Bartolo this morning launched the You Can Read scheme at Żabbar A Primary School, aimed at boosting English literacy among young students.

Żabbar was chosen because of the notable efforts the students and staff are making in this field, with the ongoing support of their parents.

Agenda Bookshop donated a number of copies of You Can Read to the Year 1 students of the school as part of the scheme.

"Literacy is a major issue in Malta at the moment and we are very happy to help eradicate the problem by giving teachers added resources to help boost English literacy. You Can Read is the perfect reading companion and can be used both in schools and at home. We believe it is important for children to start to associating reading with leisure and You Can Read is the first step," said Emma Sullivan, Marketing Manager at Agenda Bookshop.

Designed for children aged between three and six, each edition of the You Can Read series explores a different theme that helps kids understand the world around them, combining reading, games and animated videos to keep young ones entertained.

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said: "To reach the targets we have set, we must do all we can to have children surrounded by reading material and books. Our literacy efforts are bearing fruit but we must continue our mission to have a wider approach to reach all children."

The six Year 1 classes spent the morning of the project launch watching the first DVD from the 12-part You Can Read series. Later, half the children created a lion mask using the You Can Read magazine, while the other half had the story of "Chicken Licken" read out to them by the reading ambassadors Kurt Calleja, Andrea Cassar and Joe Tanti.

Ms Sullivan added: "Teaching your child to read is an essential and rewarding part of parenthood. The You Can Read series comes as a magazine and DVD combo which you can watch with your child at home. We hope this series keeps cultivating a culture of reading among younger generations who are faced by so many other distractions today."

Agenda Bookshop sponsors the Education Ministry's Reading Ambassadors programme, which is part of the national literacy strategy. The pilot project will be carried out not only in Żabbar but also in other schools that form part of the St Margaret Colleges.