Long-time educator Wendy McDonell cannot help but break into a wide smile whenever she talks about literacy in Bermuda's schools.

The book-lover, who has headed up the public education system's literacy initiative since it began last year, said she will have achieved her goal if she passes on her love of words to the Island's youngsters.

Mrs. McDonell and her team of three advisors have spent the last year training primary school teachers on the best practices for coaching young students in reading and writing.

Among the objectives of the programme is to build every child's interest and ability in literacy, as well as promote and teach every facet of language, from poetry to phonics, fiction to fact.

During the coming months, her department will continue on its two-year training mission in the hope that by next summer they will no longer be needed and every school will be equipped with the skills and training they need to continue with the programme.

Mrs. McDonell, who returned to her native Bermuda 18 months ago from Canada where she worked in education for 37 years, said making children realise their potential was what she was all about.

Having taught in good and bad schools, with children and adults from a variety of backgrounds and ages, she said she could see that the literacy programme now introduced to the Island's primary schools would eventually pay off large dividends - provided it was left in place to filter through.

But she warned residents not to expect great results overnight, although she promised they would come.

"I came back to Bermuda to help with the literacy programme," said Mrs. McDonell. "The programme has been going a year and I believe already it is paying off.

"There is still some work to be done, but that's the nature of education everywhere. But with this literacy initiative, every year level has teaching objectives identified, so schools and parents can see straight away what the expectations are.

"Last year was focused on reading and what we expected students to be able to read. This year, our training for teachers is based on writing. It is an excellent programme and I have no doubt that if schools follow the programme, students will succeed."

During her time back on the Island, the educator, who has two adult sons, said she had had an opportunity to meet all of the primary school principals and many teachers.

And she said she had been impressed by what she saw.

Mrs. McDonell conceded that Bermuda, like most countries, still had a lot to do when it came to public education, and said although some teachers needed support, there was no teacher who did not want the best for their students.

However, she has just returned from a week's literacy training at the University of Reading in the UK, where she was accompanied by 27 primary teachers, representing every school on the Island, and three principals. And she said the trip left her feeling invigorated.

The teachers spent their time in an internationally-renowned training literacy programme, which is attended by teachers from all over the world, where they were able to receive tutoring on how best to coach literacy, as well as have their own skills re-affirmed.

She said: "I was really impressed with the teachers and their enthusiasm for what they do.

"I think the teachers valued the opportunity to have staff development. I heard teachers say that the course had helped them revisit their purpose.

"They were enthusiastic, interested, curious and open-minded. The course was a real blend of theory and practice. It gave an explanation on why some practices and theories worked when teaching children.

"Now we have to filter that through to every teacher in the primary schools, and parents. It's important that people understand how a child learns and why."

But Mrs. McDonell said some acknowledgement must go out to the principals, who have supported the literacy initiative, and the committee of teachers and principals who met to discuss the issue of reading and writing before the programme was introduced.

She added: "Now we have the programme in place, we have to stay focused. I want Bermuda to stay on this road. It will take some time for the results to filter through, but I'm confident they will. I think it's already happening now in the primary classes.

"And just as important, we have to communicate what we are doing and why to parents."

Mrs. McDonell has not given a thought to what role she will play after the training programme is brought to an end next year.

However, it is sure to be in education, with literacy playing a major role.

She said her earliest memory as a child was from even before she attended school and it was going to the library with her mother every Saturday morning.

"I would take home all these books and my mother would read to me" she said.

"I loved it and I am still hooked on children's books today.

"Reading is my great love. When I was a principal I still regularly read stories to the students. It is so important to get them on that road, and I get so excited when I think about what we are doing here."

As a principal in Toronto, the educator was placed in a troubled inner-city school where she was expected to turn bad results into good ones.

With the majority of parents failing to attend open nights, and failing to take an interest in their youngsters, she said she decided to go to them.

And the way she did it? Every night after school she rode one of six buses that went from her school to a large block of Government apartments where many of her students lived. She introduced herself to parents, and eventually held a parents' night in the common room of the apartments in a bid to get them involved.

After setting up computer and reading classes for parents, and many more visits to the apartment block, she said parents eventually started to take an interest in their children's education, some even joining the school council and board of governors.

And as for the students, she said there was a vast improvement.

She said some educators might think it strange lengths to go to, but for her it was all in a day's work.

She said: "Where parents are concerned, I believe it a matter of time and respect and giving people the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way. However, we also have to recognise that we have to think outside of the box.

"I think all educators have to do that. Then we will succeed."