About Us
Meet Mrs. Brittney
Hi, I’m Mrs. Brittney, the founder and face behind Teaching Joyful Readers. As an early childhood educator, I saw the importance of instilling a love for reading into young children from the start of my career. Watching children unlock the reading code led me to also pursue a Masters in Education in Language and Literacy.
After several years teaching in public education, I transitioned to teaching English as a foreign language on a virtual platform, to become a stay-at-home mom. During this time period, I came to realize that my own beginning reader, my son, was not easily progressing in his literacy journey. While many told me that it would happen with time, I felt the urgency to pursue other avenues. His education wasn’t a chance I was willing to wait on during his most formative years.
This led me to the journey of discovering structured literacy and the Orton-Gillingham method. After becoming Orton-Gillingham trained and then certified through both IMSE (Institute of Multi-Sensory Education) and through CERI (Center of Effective Reading), I began offering structured tutoring lessons to other struggling readers in our area and through virtual lessons to help students nationwide.
What is the Orton-Gillingham method?
The Orton-Gillingham method is a structured, multisensory approach to teaching reading. It has been proven to be particularly effective for students with dyslexia, though it works with all readers through direct, explicit instruction in reading, writing, and spelling. Lessons are delivered to students through a diagnostic and prescriptive framework, which is why at Teaching Joyful Readers, we begin all tutoring lessons with an individualized initial assessment.
This method breaks down reading and spelling into smaller skills involving letters and sounds, building on these skills over time. The Orton-Gillingham method enhances retention and understanding through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning in all students.
This is a method I have been proud to bring into our own home, delivered into a private sector school, and use in all of my 1:1 tutoring sessions. Following a systematic and multi-sensory approach based on the science of reading, I am certain that whether your child just needs a small confidence boost or you too are a parent that needs deeper answers and support, we can work together to create achievable goals for your own growing reading.
My personalized virtual tutoring lessons are created individually for each reader, meeting your child where he/she is in their reading journey and filling in any missing foundational pieces along the way. Lessons are engaging, play-based for younger readers, and advance at your child’s pace for true success and understanding in our customized program.
When I’m not teaching, you’ll find me enjoying time with my family on our farm, curled up with a good book, or researching the newest reading strategies!
Why You Can Trust Us!
With specialized training in Structured Literacy and certification in the Orton-Gillingham approach, our instruction is rooted in proven methods and professional expertise. Families trust us because we combine research-based teaching with genuine care — creating a supportive environment where every child can thrive.
FAQs
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Your child could benefit from a tutor if…
Your child struggles with learning to read.
Your child struggles with letter sounds, letter reversals (beyond 1st grade), rhyming words, or blending sounds.
Your child needs homeschool support.
Your child is 6+ months behind grade level.
Your child struggles on assessments.
Your child gets easily frustrated with reading.
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Structured literacy is an explicit, step-by-step way of teaching reading. It builds understanding from sounds to words to meaning — helping every child learn how reading works, not just what to read. It meets the child where they are in their reading journey and fills in missing gaps along the way, for a strong foundation and a confident reader.
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Did you know 1 in 5 people fall on the dyslexia spectrum?
While a dyslexia diagnosis is usually given through a psychologist or medical professional, there are some signs that help with identifying if your child could possibly be dyslexic. The good news is that with or without a diagnosis, the explicit instruction we provide at Teaching Joyful Readers works with those with dyslexia too.
Signs of dyslexia include:
Trouble learning common nursery rhymes, such as “Jack and Jill”
Difficulty learning (and remembering) the names of letters in the alphabet
Seems unable to recognize letters in his/her own name
Mispronounces familiar words; persistent “baby talk”
Doesn’t recognize rhyming patterns like cat, bat, rat
A family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties (dyslexia often runs in families)
Reluctant to read
Difficulty with decoding even simple words (cat, map, etc.)
Disappears when it’s time to read or often complains how hard it is to read
Does not understand that words come apart
Very slow in acquiring reading skills
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Our lessons go beyond drills or worksheets. We combine the science of reading and the Orton-Gillingham method with creativity, multi-sensory activities, games, and connection — so learning feels both structured and joyful.
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Before lessons begin, every child completes an in-depth reading assessment. From there, we tailor lessons to their pace, interests, and needs — no two plans are ever the same.
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The truth is a gap in reading growth will only expand further as your child grows older unless he/she receives explicit intervention. Your child’s brain is not naturally wired to read, because unlike language, the alphabet and reading are man-made skills.
A first grader who struggles to learn to read will be a fourth grader that falls into the national statistic of 66% 4th graders currently reading below grade level in the USA. At that point though, you have a much bigger gap to fill for your child to reach proficiency and an even more reluctant reader.
Early intervention is key! Older students can also be remediated, but the process generally takes much longer to catch up.
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Every child will work at his/her own pace. We meet the child where he/she is in the reading journey, while filling in missing gaps in the reading foundation. Our main goal is to grow confidence, skills, and help rewire the brain to make reading fun and engaging through tutoring.
What our parents are saying!
Brittney had made such a crucial impact on my daughter, Harper! She has been so patient and worked hard every session to get her at grade level, to even surpassing her goals! She has been working with Mrs. Brittney for the past ten months and has went from a preschool level in reading, struggling to learn her letters and sounds, to reading fluently on a first grade level with her peers. We love Mrs. Brittney!
-Kayla E. (mom of Harper, age 6)
Mrs. Blanton (Brittney) has been absolutely invaluable to our family. She is not only a consummate professional, but she is warm, caring, and engaging. Our daughter, who has dyslexia, absolutely loves working with Mrs. Blanton and the programs she has curated for her. Our daughter's growth and love of reading has skyrocketed while working with Mrs. Blanton. -Emily T. (mom of Claire, age 7)
