Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Marshall.
Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My path into education has always been rooted in making learning feel real, meaningful, and joyful. I began my teaching career in South Florida at a public project-based learning school, where I taught K–5, led PBL workshops for teachers, and designed reading and curriculum that connected high-quality literature to real-world learning. My passion has always been in helping children enjoy reading while also mastering the core skills they need to become confident readers.
As my own children grew, my husband and I made the decision to step away from the traditional life we knew and spend time traveling by sailboat as a family. We bought a 42-foot sailboat, SeaDragon, and within a year left our jobs and set out to explore the Tortugas, Southern Keys, the Bahamas, and the East Coast of America. During that journey, we anchored for nine months in New Bern, North Carolina, a town we fell in love with for its warmth, riverfront, and sense of community.
While in New Bern, I began tutoring local children in Orton-Gillingham reading instruction at the library and coffee shops. Many of those early students are still with me today. Because New Bern is a heavily military community, families moved frequently and carried our work with them to new states and even other countries. Along with my own travels, this naturally turned my tutoring practice into a global one and became the foundation of New Bern Tutor.
For five years, my family spent winters and springs in the Southern Bahamas, and I taught online from our sailboat while homeschooling my own children. Those years deeply shaped my philosophy about learning and ultimately inspired the creation of StoryArt Studio™—a boutique reading curriculum designed especially for homeschool families that blends evidence-based phonics, deep comprehension and thinking routines, and joyful reading experiences.
Today, we’ve placed roots in Jacksonville, Florida, where I continue to teach students around the world through New Bern Tutor, which remains the heart of my work and the foundation of my teaching practice. At the same time, I am expanding and developing StoryArt Studio™ as a curriculum-based extension of that work. New Bern Tutor honors the place, people, and students where this journey truly took shape, while StoryArt Studio™ represents the next chapter and broader vision I’m building today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think the road is ever completely smooth for anyone starting a business, but it’s been a really meaningful and rewarding one. In the beginning, I found it overwhelming to wear all of the hats. One thing I appreciated early on was that a tutoring service could take many forms — brick and mortar, traveling to students’ homes, meeting publicly, or teaching online. That flexibility mattered because my family’s lifestyle was evolving, and at the time I wasn’t sure where it would lead or what the business would ultimately look like.
Like many small business owners, I found myself juggling web design, social media, product development, accounting, sales, marketing, student retention, and growth. Things began to feel more manageable once I had a website in place and a clear philosophy to guide every decision. That clarity helped simplify choices and gave me a stronger sense of direction (at least for a while — growth always brings new challenges).
Over time, I’ve noticed a natural rhythm to building a business. You grow, you pause, you reflect, you adjust, and then growth tends to come again — often because those improvements create space to move forward more intentionally. One of the biggest turning points for me was hiring an accountant to take one major piece off my plate, which allowed me to focus my energy on the parts of the business I most wanted to develop.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My work centers around supporting beginning and struggling readers through New Bern Tutor, where I provide online reading instruction using the Orton-Gillingham approach, widely considered the gold standard for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges. I specialize in building strong foundational skills in phonics, decoding, fluency, and comprehension, while always keeping the child’s confidence and love of reading at the center of the work.
What I’m most proud of are the deep, meaningful relationships I build with students and families. Many of the children I work with stay with me for years, and I have the privilege of supporting them not only as readers, but as growing learners. That long-term partnership allows me to truly know each child and tailor instruction in a way that feels both effective and deeply supportive.
What sets my work apart is the way I blend structured, evidence-based reading instruction with creativity, curiosity, and connection. My background in project-based learning and curriculum design allows me to go beyond skill-building alone and help children see reading as purposeful and engaging. That creative lens has recently expanded into StoryArt Studio™, a boutique reading curriculum designed especially for homeschool families, which brings together structured literacy, deep comprehension thinking routines, and joyful, high-quality literature.
Because I teach exclusively online and work with families around the world, I’m also deeply attuned to meeting students where they are — academically, emotionally, and developmentally. Whether a child is struggling, highly capable but disengaged, or learning in a nontraditional setting, my goal is always the same: to help them become confident, capable readers who feel seen, supported, and inspired.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can work with me directly through New Bern Tutor by enrolling in online reading tutoring for beginning and struggling readers. Most families find their way to me through long-term relationships and word of mouth, which I value deeply.
I also enjoy connecting with homeschool families and educators who are interested in a thoughtful, creative approach to literacy through StoryArt Studio™, which I continue to grow as a curriculum-based extension of my tutoring work. StoryArt Studio™ is intentionally designed to support both independence and connection. Foundational phonics instruction is guided and delivered directly to students, taking that daily teaching burden off parents. Reading and comprehension, on the other hand, are supported in ways that bring families together—through shared books, gentle guidance, and meaningful conversation—so learning feels connected rather than isolating.
Collaboration is always welcome in meaningful ways—whether that’s with teachers, libraries, homeschool groups, or other educators who share a love of joyful, thoughtful learning. I’m especially energized by opportunities that connect children with books in community and bring people together around meaningful literacy experiences.
I support small schools, educators, and parents through professional development focused on structured literacy, thoughtful curriculum design, and joyful reading practices—work that grows naturally out of my teaching, tutoring, and curriculum development. Supporting my work often looks like sharing it with families who may benefit or engaging in conversations about what helps children truly thrive as readers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newberntutor.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1TF3gTj7zW/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoryArtStudio
