I loved Bonnie's house. It was full of the clutter and smells of family and children. Bonnie is a part-time coordinator for the ABLE Program at the Brooks Campus of Medicine Hat College. While she put the kettle on for tea, I looked around her large and comfortable kitchen, admiring the finger paintings and crayoned pictures taped on the kitchen wall and refrigerator door, created by Bonnie's three children.

Sitting at the kitchen table Bonnie talked about her interest in family literacy, an interest which started very early in her literacy work. She told me about a student she came to know through the ABLE program who was afraid to ask her husband for help with her reading and writing. "She would call her sister to ask how to spell a word," Bonnie told me. "When she was a child her family ran her down constantly. She told me that school was her 'heaven'; it was a place to get away from the unhappiness of home. But then she had trouble keeping up in school and lost all her confidence. Life is still really difficult for her but I've always noticed that despite her present hardships she's a really good and caring mother."

Also being a mom, Bonnie finds she identifies easily with the students in her program who are women with children. "I've seen so many situations where husbands don't support their wives' efforts to learn new skills and become more independent," Bonnie explained. An edge of frustration entered her voice as she continued. "No one is available to baby sit and there is no time or encouragement for the women to study at home."

With her own teaching background and now having a child of her own in Grade 1, Bonnie is very much aware of how many notes are sent home with the children for parents to read. "I worry for the moms who are intimidated and overwhelmed by the printed paper," she said. "They miss important information about upcoming classroom events. They must feel so isolated and I feel really sad for the children whose parents are then unable to participate in school activities with them."

Recognizing the need for more support for these students, Bonnie recently submitted a proposal to the Department of Advanced Education and the Secretary of State for funding for the "Homespun Family Literacy Project". Her excitement was contagious as she outlined her ideas for Homespun. She plans to have a class a couple of afternoons a week just for moms. Babysitting will be provided and the study materials will be children's books that focus on child development issues.

Bonnie hopes to work especially with women who have young children in the school system who themselves are showing learning difficulties. Many women have said to Bonnie that they don't want their children to have the same problems in school that they did. Understanding her students' fears, Bonnie's greatest hope is that this program will help to break the cycle of non-reading adults raising non-reading children.

I heard a baby's cry and Bonnie smiled. Krista, who had just woken up from her nap, came trundling down the hall with her blanket to find a warm spot on her mother's lap.

With her baby snuggled close, Bonnie said how grateful she is that the flexibility of her job in literacy has allowed her to carry on with her role as a mother. "I'm grateful too," she said, "that this job has given me the opportunity to help and work with other women. I think the experiences I've had with my students has in many ways strengthened my commitment to my own family."