About Brilliant Futures Tutoring

Our Mission

With 40% of children unable to read, our mission is to connect as many tutors and children together as possible and teach the world to read.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Laurel Sanders.  I provide English tutoring services in Prince George, BC, Canada and online.

20+ yrs experience

I have a history in homeschooling, providing respite for special needs children and adults, and tutoring children with and without learning difficulties.

I also worked as an educational assistant, I retired in April 2021 in the Prince George School District to pursue tutoring full-time.

My Philosophy

“Success is achieved by the steady pursuit of a worthy goal.” I consider helping my students overcome their reading challenges one of the worthiest goals – and a joy and privilege! The dawning realization in a student that “I CAN read!” “I CAN do it!” and the spark of enthusiasm, confidence, and pride it ignites in them makes my heart sing! Their success is my joy!

“Purpose without Passion is futile!” To ensure success, it is necessary that a burning desire accompany goals. My purpose of “making reading a reality” for my students is complimented by my positive attitude and fervent efforts to ensure their success.

Some students have an inner drive ; they are able push themselves to study and learn. Other students need more emotional support. Either way, I am passionate about providing a positive and stimulating learning environment. In fact, my students (and parents) thrive on the enthusiasm and energy I bring to each lesson.  

I have experience working with students with dyslexia, apraxia, short-term memory deficit, working memory deficit, ADHD, asbergers syndrome, and autism. I also teach reading and writing skills and business grammar to adult students.

My Approach to Teaching Reading

I spent over two decades using the Orton-Gillingham (OG) method for teaching reading. I witnessed how effective it can be for building foundational skills. 

However, in 2023, my approach evolved. After months of research and testing, I embraced the Structured Linguistic Literacy (SLL), or speech-to-print method. 

The results of switching from speech to print have been transformative for both me and my students..

The essence of SLL lies in its sound-to-letter instruction, which starts with what children already know—spoken language—and moves to what’s less familiar, written symbols. 

This logical flow mirrors how the brain naturally processes language, making it a faster and more intuitive way to teach reading. 

Through this approach, I realized that many of the rules I once relied on—spelling, syllable, and phonics rules—were unnecessary hurdles. 

Instead of aiding students, these “rules” often complicated their learning.

Since integrating SLL with 13 of my students (ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 12), the progress has been remarkable. 

Here is what my students experienced:

• Accelerated reading progress, allowing them to engage with authentic texts much sooner than they would have using OG’s controlled texts.
• Lower cognitive load: By eliminating burdensome rules and letter names, students could focus on mastering reading without being bogged down by excessive memorization.
• Enhanced confidence and critical thinking: With fewer constraints and more flexible learning, my students became more confident, taking ownership of their reading journey.

While I still respect the OG method for its rigor and effectiveness, its rule-heavy approach and slow progression can be mentally exhausting for students, often delaying exposure to real-world texts. 

SLL, on the other hand, has streamlined the learning process, offering more personalized, dynamic instruction that keeps students engaged and progressing at a faster pace.

I’m excited to continue using this approach, confident that it will help students of all ages and abilities unlock their full reading potential.

I Love Teaching Children to Read!

My purpose and goal is to empower my students with the necessary tools to learn to read, write, and spell independently.