Our Story
Founded in 2010 by Joanna Brown, M.S. Ed, C-SLDS, The Reading Guru is now one of the country’s leading Orton-Gillingham reading tutoring companies. Joanna and her team of OG-certified master reading teachers have helped thousands of children crack the reading code. We offer one-on-one, live, online, individualized Orton-Gillingham-based reading tutoring to students worldwide, including those with dyslexia. In addition to our online reading and dyslexia tutoring, we also offer in-person reading and dyslexia tutoring in NYC (Manhattan, Brooklyn, & Queens), Los Angeles, Denver, and Austin.
Please contact us to schedule a free consultation.
Joanna Brown
Founder and CEO
Joanna Brown, founder and CEO of The Reading Guru, is a master Orton-Gillingham reading tutor with more than 15 years of experience providing personalized, one-on-one reading instruction. Joanna holds an M.S. in Elementary Education and Literacy from Bank Street College of Education in NYC, and a B.A. from the University of Colorado. Joanna is certified by the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) as a Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS). She earned this certification through training at the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) as well as with the digital, multisensory training program, Lexercise. She also has completed training with the Orton-Gillingham based, multi-sensory program Preventing Academic Failure (PAF).
Joanna began tutoring children in reading in New York City in 2005. She has worked with hundreds of struggling readers, dyslexic readers, and readers needing enrichment. Joanna founded The Reading Guru in 2019 after developing a series of tools and techniques to allow her to bring her Orton-Gillingham-based literacy tutoring to students all over the world. She and her team of highly-experienced tutors now work virtually and in-person with students in every type of school, both in the United States and internationally, and help students who have a variety of educational differences including dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, speech and language disorders, and executive functioning issues. Please schedule a free consultation with The Reading Guru to learn more.
Seth Brown
Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer
Seth is a serial entrepreneur who loves a good challenge — and a father whose children have struggled with dyslexia, which makes The Reading Guru’s mission personal. After a 20-year career in real estate development and insurance, he is enjoying helping The Reading Guru grow to its full potential and reach more of the millions of children across the world who have dyslexia or other reading difficulties. At The Reading Guru, he focuses on planning for growth, building and implementing operational, financial and HR systems, and overseeing marketing and technology. Over the past five years, he has helped grow The Reading Guru from its origin as a platform for a single, extraordinary Orton-Gillingham tutor (Joanna Brown, Founder & CEO) into one of the country’s leading reading and dyslexia tutoring companies. Seth holds an undergraduate degree in history from Yale University, and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, biking in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, gardening, reading and writing.
Dellano Blake
Operations Specialist
Dellano Blake is a highly accomplished operations manager and executive assistant with more than 10 years of professional experience supporting executives, streamlining business processes, and driving organizational performance across multiple industries. His background includes deep technical expertise and hands-on training in several areas of technology and operations, including a strong foundation in web development and software engineering. During his early career, Dellano spent over four years building, deploying, and maintaining web applications and software systems for businesses. He later transitioned into operations leadership, where he has combined his technical skill set with executive level administrative expertise to support C-suite leaders and high growth teams. At The Reading Guru, he has focused on optimizing executive productivity and scaling our internal systems during a period of rapid growth. Outside of work, Dellano enjoys staying active through regular gym sessions and swimming. He also has a passion for art and culture and speaks German, reflecting his appreciation for lifelong learning and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds.
Laura Simmons
Learning Coordinator
Laura is a passionate educator and reading specialist, certified in PK-3 education. She holds a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction as well as a reading specialist certification, both from Louisiana State University (LSU). She has taught both Pre-K 4 and First grade. First grade has been her passion as it often is the year where so much reading growth takes place. With seven years of classroom experience and five years of tutoring, she has worked with a plethora of students to develop their reading skills, conquer reading challenges, and build up their confidence. As someone with dyslexia and ADHD, she understands how difficult learning can feel to young students and the benefit of early intervention. Laura develops strong relationships with both students and parents to truly work together as a team. Laura is certified in Orton-Gillingham through The Institute of Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE). Additionally, Laura has completed Wilson’s Fundations, Science of Reading, and Heggerty training. Outside of tutoring, Laura can be found spending time gardening with her husband, playing with her dog, and raising chickens.