“My son has always loved being read to, but was not a fan of reading himself. When he started first grade, he was a little behind in his reading abilities and had very little motivation to read with us and work on them. With Ello, he read all 5 books in one morning and was so excited to earn stars and pick a prize. Ello does have a hard time hearing at times, but it’s not so bad to make me not use the service and he’s just learned to grab his iPad and yell it into it. I love that he gets to have a physical book too; so many apps are all digital and it’s so important for young children to still understand characteristics of physical books and allowing him to turn the page and use his finger to track his reading will transfer better into the classroom then just reading on a device. I’m thrilled with this service. I do wish it were a little less expensive, especially if you have no intention of keeping the books but merely “checking them out” Iike at the library. I feel like the price could be lowered as it is hefty for a monthly subscription when the app has all digital for 4.99…”

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Posted 1 year ago

“Great idea to combine the tablet with paper reading. Wish there was an option to do more than once a month and it does glitch sometimes so could use a bit of improvement and the little prizes could be better but otherwise my 6 year old loves this and asks to read with ello!”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I’ve only had one box so far but the app was user-friendly to download and easy for my kid to use. She was really excited to read but that turned out to be a bit of a problem. She had read all five books within an hour because she was having so much fun, and now has to wait a month for the next batch. If there were more app-based activities (comprehension questions, or vocab acquisition, drawing or writing tasks) that relate to the books once they’d been read a few times, it’d be better. Or perhaps the option of 10 books a month? Or a twice monthly subscription? I know the digital only option is significantly cheaper but that does then eliminate the excitement-at-getting-a-parcel side of the whole thing - which is obviously a great joy for a six-year old.”

2 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I have been absolutely thrilled with my son's experience using the Ello reading subscription. It has been an incredible tool in helping him learn to read while keeping him engaged and excited about the process. He looks forward to exploring new stories. The inclusion of videos at the end of each reading session is a brilliant touch. These videos are not only cute but also educational. One of the standout features of Ello is its ability to personalize the reading experience. The interactive nature of the app keeps him actively involved in the learning process, enhancing his comprehension and retention of the material. Customer support from the Ello team has been outstanding. They are responsive, attentive, and genuinely invested in their users' success. Any questions or concerns I've had were promptly addressed, further solidifying my confidence in the service. I highly recommend the Ello reading subscription for children who are learning to read. It strikes the perfect balance between education and entertainment, making the journey enjoyable and effective. Ello is an indispensable tool in fostering my son's reading skills and love for learning.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“So far, it is awesome. They sent her books that would start her at her level. When we go the package she enjoyed going through the books and then seeing ello. She loves the fact that she gets a sticker when she finishes a book. We opened it and the first day she read two books. That has never happened. She struggles with reading at grade level. I am hoping things will give her the confidence she needs to keep going. So happy! She says she is excited to get her second box.”

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Posted 1 year ago

“I can’t say enough about ELLO!! My seven year old loves reading his Ello books. It has improved his reading tremendously! I love that he has his own independence when reading. He is always excited to see what books he gets each month!! I recommend ELLO to anyone looking for ways to help their child read or even just something fun to do with your child!!”

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Posted 1 year ago

“So far it's ok and my child enjoys it but it's buggy. It'll give her credit for words she's saying incorrectly or she'll have to repeat a word multiple times to get it to recognize what she's saying.”

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Posted 1 year ago

Thank you so much for the review! I am sorry that the speech recognition isn't working the way you expected. Speech recognition (as you might know from Alexa or Siri) isn't perfect. We walk a delicate balance between not wanting to be SO strict that a slight accent or difference in pronunciation results in Ello getting stuck or detecting an error, and also not wanting to be so lenient that it lets kids through with a ton of mistakes or doesn't correct a mistake. Kids are particularly sensitive to the first --no one likes to be told they are "wrong" when they aren't-- so we lean a bit more lenient. Ello is always there for kids (via the question mark) when they want help, and we never interrupt them during reading to correct an error. Teachers don't do this either. We wait until the end of the page and then have them go back if we think they missed a word. The bottom line is this: we think about the experience holistically. Ello is motivating support that will correct them on errors (although not all errors, by design), is always there to help if a child proactively asks for it, and motivates them to keep going! A few tips for speech recognition in case it helps: Ello can get stuck (though we don't get reports of it happening too often). Here are some things that might help or explain: any damage to the microphone internally, background noise, or clarity of the speaker (yelling actually makes it worse!). Here are some things you can do: 1). Skip the page if it is read (push the arrow forward) 2). Hit the question mark to see where Ello is stuck 3). Keep reading fluidly at least 5 or 6 words. Reading one word at a time can actually make it worse. When getting help on a single word (when Ello has the flashlight up), give a few seconds before repeating it again. Ello can sometimes take a second to process single words. Let me know if any of this helps!

Posted 1 year ago

“We are only on month 2 and I can already see a huge difference in my son’s reading. They send great books every month that he actually enjoys and the app helps with any words that he has trouble with. So far definitely worth it!”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

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