Book Week is a celebration of stories, imagination and creativity, but helping children love reading isn't just something that happens during one week of the year. The good news? It doesn't take expensive resources or hours of extra time. Often, it's the small, recurring habits that make the biggest difference.
1. Let them see you read
Children are more likely to value reading when they see the adults around them enjoying it too. Whether it's a novel, magazine, recipe or newspaper, showing that reading is part of everyday life helps build positive attitudes towards books.
2. Read together, even after they've learnt to read
Many parents stop reading aloud once their child becomes an independent reader, but shared reading continues to support vocabulary, comprehension and a love of storytelling well into the primary years. It also creates moments to connect and talk about ideas.
3. Give children the freedom to choose
Not every child will be drawn to classic novels, and that's okay! Graphic novels, comics, fact books and magazines all count. When children can explore topics they're genuinely interested in, reading becomes something they want to do rather than something they have to do.
4. Make reading part of everyday life
Ten or fifteen minutes before bed or reading together after school helps establish reading as a regular habit. Consistency matters more than long sessions.
5. Talk about stories
Asking simple questions like "What surprised you?" or "Who was your favourite character?" encourages children to think more deeply about what they've read. These conversations also help develop confidence and comprehension.
6. Celebrate curiosity, not perfection
Children don't need to finish every book they start or read at the same level as their peers. The goal is to nurture confidence and enjoyment. When reading feels positive, children are more likely to keep coming back to it.
Wondering how schools help children become confident readers?
At Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD), engaging literacy experiences, dedicated teachers and well-resourced libraries help students build the skills and confidence to thrive as readers and learners.
Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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08 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Letting Our Light Shine — just from a different angle! 🌟📸 We love sharing the wonderful things happening across our school community... the learning, laughter, friendships, celebrations and faith-filled experiences that make St Angela’s such a special place. 💛 You may have noticed a change in the way we share photographs of our students on this page Under new e-safety commission guidelines, we need to be increasingly mindful about publicly sharing photographs where students’ faces are clearly identifiable. This means we will be reducing the use of images that show identifiable student faces and finding creative new ways to capture and share the richness of school life. 📸 This doesn't mean we will stop sharing our St Angela’s story! Instead, you will see more photographs that capture students engaged in learning from different perspectives. Our goal is to continue keeping our families connected to the fabulous learning, fun, faith and community spirit that happens every day at St Angela’s, while also responding responsibly to the evolving digital and eSafety landscape. We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and understanding as we make this small but important change. We know that photographs help tell our story, and we will continue to be creative in capturing the joy, wonder and achievements of our students, just in a slightly different way. This is a new strategy for us to navigate and we appreciate your patience. Thank you for partnering with us to create a school community that is safe, connected and full of light.✨07 Sep 2026
From Facebook
PRAYER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE NEPAL FLOODS As catastrophic floods and landslides in the Nepal-Tibet border region leave more than 469 people dead and 1400 missing, including 39 Australians, we hold all those affected in our prayers. Loving God, Be close to all those caught in the devastation of the floods in Nepal and Tibet. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, strengthen those waiting anxiously for news, and guide rescuers and emergency workers as they search for survivors. Give courage to displaced families and compassion to communities offering shelter, food and care. May those who are missing be found, and may those who mourn know they are not alone. God of mercy, hear our prayer. Amen. To support Caritas Australia’s Nepal Floods Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/nepal.
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08 Sep 2026
From Facebook
Letting Our Light Shine — just from a different angle! 🌟📸 We love sharing the wonderful things happening across our school community... the learning, laughter, friendships, celebrations and faith-filled experiences that make St Angela’s such a special place. 💛 You may have noticed a change in the way we share photographs of our students on this page Under new e-safety commission guidelines, we need to be increasingly mindful about publicly sharing photographs where students’ faces are clearly identifiable. This means we will be reducing the use of images that show identifiable student faces and finding creative new ways to capture and share the richness of school life. 📸 This doesn't mean we will stop sharing our St Angela’s story! Instead, you will see more photographs that capture students engaged in learning from different perspectives. Our goal is to continue keeping our families connected to the fabulous learning, fun, faith and community spirit that happens every day at St Angela’s, while also responding responsibly to the evolving digital and eSafety landscape. We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and understanding as we make this small but important change. We know that photographs help tell our story, and we will continue to be creative in capturing the joy, wonder and achievements of our students, just in a slightly different way. This is a new strategy for us to navigate and we appreciate your patience. Thank you for partnering with us to create a school community that is safe, connected and full of light.✨
07 Sep 2026
From Facebook
PRAYER FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE NEPAL FLOODS As catastrophic floods and landslides in the Nepal-Tibet border region leave more than 469 people dead and 1400 missing, including 39 Australians, we hold all those affected in our prayers. Loving God, Be close to all those caught in the devastation of the floods in Nepal and Tibet. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, strengthen those waiting anxiously for news, and guide rescuers and emergency workers as they search for survivors. Give courage to displaced families and compassion to communities offering shelter, food and care. May those who are missing be found, and may those who mourn know they are not alone. God of mercy, hear our prayer. Amen. To support Caritas Australia’s Nepal Floods Appeal, visit www.caritas.org.au/nepal.
02 Sep 2026
From Facebook
✨ Kindy’s Fairytale Adventure! ✨ Kindergarten enjoyed a magical incursion with The Drama Box! 🏰🐉🧚♀️ The children stepped into the wonderful world of fairytales, dressing up as a colourful cast of characters and using their imaginations, creativity and dramatic skills to help “unfracture” a fractured fairytale! 📖✨ There was plenty of laughter, excitement and imaginative play as our Kindy students became part of the story themselves. What a wonderful way to bring our learning about fairytales to life! 🌟 A huge thank you to The Drama Box for such an engaging and memorable experience!
28 Aug 2026
From Facebook
St Vincent De Paul snack pack making 🙏🏼💙 Today our Year 6 Mackillop Awardee students spent their lunch packing snack packs, which will be sent to St Vincent De Paul. The students donated generously and made connections with Matthew 25:35 and the importance of human dignity.
28 Aug 2026
Our schools are cracking the reading code
Do you remember how you learned to read? For a vital skill that is linked to all other learning, it’s surprisingly difficult to explain how to go about learning it.
27 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations on another amazing comp day for our Senior Dance Crew 🪩🩰✨ Yesterday the Year 5 and 6 Dance Crew students competed at Captivate. They came home with a 3rd place for Lyrical and HC for Jazz. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication to countless hours of rehearsals ☺️
26 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Today we celebrated the Education Mass at St Patrick’s with schools from across the Diocese. Daniel and Abigail from Year 4 were proud to represent St Angela’s at the Mass. Thank you to our parent representatives Mr Chetty and Mr Vavayis.
21 Aug 2026
From Facebook
We were so excited to come back to school after the holidays and see our St Angela’s House Board installed. Huge thank you to our Year 6 Class of 2025 for donating this awesome new addition to our school. 👏
20 Aug 2026
From Facebook
A huge congratulations to our Year 5 & 6 Dance Crew on their wonderful 2nd Place at the Hawkesbury Eisteddfod today! 🥈 We are so proud of the way they represented St Angela’s, with such pride and joy, letting their light shine! 🌟
20 Aug 2026
From Facebook
Yesterday, our Kindergarten students enjoyed a wonderful incursion with Brewongle. We explored a range of traditional Aboriginal tools and learned more about how Aboriginal Peoples have used the natural environment for many different purposes. They especially loved heading outdoors to create their own beautiful artworks using ochre! It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience that helped bring our learning about Aboriginal culture and connection to Country to life 🌿🎨
20 Aug 2026
Six Habits That Help Children Develop a Love of Reading
Book Week is a celebration of stories, imagination and creativity, but helping children love reading isn't just something that happens during one week of the year. The good news? It doesn't take expensive resources or hours of extra time. Often, it's the small, everyday habits that make the biggest difference.