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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06 Aug 2026
From Facebook
β½ Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day β½ Following the cancellation of the Diocesan Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day, our Stage 2 students enjoyed a fun and successful St Anthony's Soccer Gala Day, ensuring everyone still had the opportunity to experience the excitement of a soccer tournament. The morning was filled with teamwork, determination, encouragement and plenty of smiles. Congratulations to all of our teams for displaying great sportsmanship and giving their best throughout the tournament. π Tournament Results π₯ 1st Place: Team 5 (McAuley) π₯ 2nd Place: Team 7 (MacKillop) π₯ 3rd Place: Team 4 (McAuley) A special congratulations to Andreas (Year 3), who was awarded the Sportsperson Award in recognition of his outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and encouragement of others throughout the day. He was a wonderful example of what it means to compete with respect and integrity. Thank you to our staff and student referees for helping make the morning such a success. It was wonderful to see our Stage 2 students enjoying friendly competition, building new friendships and creating lasting memories together. β½πππβ€οΈ #LearningUplifts #Stage2Soccer #Sportsmanship #Teamwork #StAnthonys
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From Facebook
06 Aug 2026
From Facebook
β½ Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day β½ Following the cancellation of the Diocesan Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day, our Stage 2 students enjoyed a fun and successful St Anthony's Soccer Gala Day, ensuring everyone still had the opportunity to experience the excitement of a soccer tournament. The morning was filled with teamwork, determination, encouragement and plenty of smiles. Congratulations to all of our teams for displaying great sportsmanship and giving their best throughout the tournament. π Tournament Results π₯ 1st Place: Team 5 (McAuley) π₯ 2nd Place: Team 7 (MacKillop) π₯ 3rd Place: Team 4 (McAuley) A special congratulations to Andreas (Year 3), who was awarded the Sportsperson Award in recognition of his outstanding sportsmanship, leadership and encouragement of others throughout the day. He was a wonderful example of what it means to compete with respect and integrity. Thank you to our staff and student referees for helping make the morning such a success. It was wonderful to see our Stage 2 students enjoying friendly competition, building new friendships and creating lasting memories together. β½πππβ€οΈ #LearningUplifts #Stage2Soccer #Sportsmanship #Teamwork #StAnthonys
04 Aug 2026
From Facebook
β½οΈ Stage 3 Soccer Gala Day β½οΈ Our Stage 3 students had a fantastic day at the Soccer Gala Day! All three teams represented our school with pride, demonstrating excellent teamwork, determination and outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. Across the competition, our teams celebrated a few wins, fought hard for some draws and learned from a few losses. Most importantly, they encouraged one another, played with respect and gave their best in every match. Well done to all of our players for the wonderful way you represented our school. We are so proud of you! πβ½οΈ
27 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Today, our school community came together to celebrate Grandparents Day, honouring the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the patron saints of grandparents. π Our beautiful liturgy was made even more special by the wonderful performances from our choir and dance group. Thank you to everyone who helped make this celebration so meaningful. A special thank you to Trish and our staff for their warm hospitality and to all the families who joined us in our open classrooms, sharing in the joy of learning alongside our students. Thank you to all of our grandparents and special guests for spending the day with us. We are so grateful for the love, wisdom and support you bring to the lives of our students. πβ¨
24 Jul 2026
From Facebook
π Stage 3 Touch Football π Our Stage 3 Touch Football teams had a fantastic day of competition! They gave it their all throughout the day, finishing with a mix of wins, draws and losses. Most importantly, they represented our school with pride, showing excellent sportsmanship, respect and teamwork at every game. π We are so proud of the way they supported one another and displayed such positive attitudes throughout the day. Well done, Stage 3! β
22 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Lunchtime fun across the playgrounds today! βοΈ Itβs great to see our students making the most of the different play spaces, staying active, building friendships, and enjoying time together.
21 Jul 2026
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π¦π The Scholastic Dino-Mite Book Fair is here! ππ¦ Our Book Fair opens this morning from 8:30am and again this afternoon from 3:15pm. Come along, browse the fantastic selection of books, and help inspire a love of reading. We canβt wait to see you there! ππ
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CSPD students recognised in Refugee Week Creative Competition
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02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to all colour houses for reaching their playground token reward of 400 tokens! Students receive golden tokens on the playground when they act respectfully, live responsibly and play together. It certainly was a crazy hair day!
02 Jul 2026
From Facebook
β³ Congratulations, Kylo! We are incredibly proud of Kylo for representing St Anthony's at the CSNSW Golf Tournament this week at Blackheath. Competing against students from Years 4β6, Kylo demonstrated determination, resilience and sportsmanship in extremely cold and wet conditions. Despite the challenging course, he played some outstanding golf and represented our school with pride throughout the day. At St Anthony's, we love seeing our students embrace opportunities to challenge themselves, strive for personal excellence and represent our community with integrity. Well done, Kylo, on a fantastic achievement, we can't wait to see what next year brings! #LearningUplifts #StAnthonysGirraween #ProudToRepresent #StudentAchievement