Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries across the board, and education is no exception. A new wave of educational apps is harnessing artificial intelligence to make learning more accessible, personalized, and engaging.
One such app is Ello, which uses AI and voice recognition to assist children while they read—offering feedback and corrections in real time, just like a tutor (or you) would do.
But, is it really the same? Does it actually work? Can an AI-powered app truly coach and support your child’s reading progress?
Let’s find out in today’s article!
*Affiliate Disclosure: Some links in this article may be affiliate links, meaning that I could get a small commission at no additional cost to you should you decide to buy from them.
What is Ello?
Ello is an AI-powered reading app designed to support your child while reading books in the app by providing feedback and correcting reading mistakes.
Ello listens to your child, corrects mistakes, and provides real-time feedback. It also adapts to your child’s reading level over time. It was built to be like a reading tutor in an app.
ELLO SPECIAL OFFER!
GET 30-DAY FREE TRIAL, INSTEAD OF THEIR 7-DAY FREE TRIAL.
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE LEARNING READING HUB!
How to access ?
Register account on their website (link below) and use the following promo code – lrh
So, how does Ello work? How does the app do all of this?
How does Ello work?
1. Setting Up Your First Ello Profile
First of all, when you first set up Ello, the app will ask you a few simple questions about your child’s reading level, and interests, and conduct a short reading assessment.
With all that information, the app comes up with a specific book collection that is appropriate for your chid’s reading level.
As your child improves, the app automatically adjusts the book selection! However, if you find the level is not right for your child, you can also manually tweak the level if needed, in the settings.
2. Interactive Reading Support
How does Ello help your child when struggling?
✔️ If a child hesitates on a word, Ello encourages them to try.
✔️ If they get it wrong, the app breaks the word down into sounds or syllables.
✔️ This method helps with orthographic mapping, making words “stick” in memory.
Another great feature is their “Turn-Taking Books.” In some stories, Ello reads a section, then prompts your child to take over—keeping them engaged.
3. Reading Quests
The app is structured into what they call “reading quests.” Each quest revolves around a specific phonics skill, which is supposed to build on top the ones your child has previously learned.
Each new skill is introduced to your child in a “mini-lesson” format at the beginning of each quest.
Once your kid reads four to six books focusing on a phonics concept, she’ll finish that particular quest, and she’ll move to the next one. Again, the same structure: a mini lesson first with clear instructions, and then practice, practice, and practice reading books until she achieves mastery.
Up to what level will Ello take my child? What to Expect
The app was created for children from Kindergarten to third grade. Therefore, its scope and sequence match the reading skills expected at these levels.
It starts with basic reading skills, such as letter-sound knowledge and reading CVC words, and systematically introduces more advanced concepts that build upon each other. Toward the end, your child will be reading texts that contain advanced prefixes and suffixes, words with three or more syllables, and more.
See full details below (Ello Scope & Sequence)
What Makes Ello Stand Out? The Best Features in Ello
Decodable Books & Science of Reading Approach
In my opinion, one great thing about this app is that its book collection is decodable and aligned with the Science of Reading.
I hear you—what does this even mean, and why is it important?
It means that the books will be appropriate for your child’s phonics level.
Why is this so great? First of all, it helps prevent confusion. Your child won’t be asked to read words that follow rules or patterns she hasn’t learned yet—or worse, contradict the rules she has already mastered!
On top of that, decodable texts give her plenty of practice with the phonics skills she’s acquired so far before moving on to more complex ones.
By the way, this doesn’t mean she’ll be stuck reading the same words or books over and over (unless you choose to, of course—there are no restrictions). It’s more about ensuring that the books reinforce specific phonics concepts so kids can master one skill at a time.In
DECODABILITY VS. LEXILE LEVEL
Another common way to classify kids books is by Lexile level.
Lexile level measures text’s complexity taking into account different factors, such as how complex the vocabulary and the sentence structure is, how long words are, etc.
However, decodable books are going to focus more on phonics specifically, and how complex words are from a phonetic perspective.
Mini-phonics lessons & Words Warm Ups Before Reading
As explained, at the beginning of each quest, the app gives your child a mini-lesson to introduce the books’ key skill. Then, once in the book, they have warm-ups to the words in the book.
The app will pick the ones it considers will be especially tricky for your child.
Their Approach to Sounding Out Words
I like how they help kids sound out words. Instead of just giving the answer, they break the word down—either sound by sound or syllable by syllable, depending on the word.
ELLO SPECIAL OFFER!
GET 30-DAY FREE TRIAL, INSTEAD OF THEIR 7-DAY FREE TRIAL.
EXCLUSIVE FOR THE LEARNING READING HUB!
How to access ?
Register account on their website (link below) and use the following promo code: lrh
Remember the promo code is lrh (short for Learning Reading Hub!), so you are not charged for the
Extra Features I like
Encouraging & Sweet Elephant Character
This app is designed for children from Kindergarten to 3rd grade, so the creators have made an effort to make it really cute. It features an adorable elephant character who gives the lessons, corrects mistakes, and encourages your child along the way.Rewards System
Reward System
The app’s reward system is designed to encourage children without creating overwhelm or distraction.
Kids earn small rewards (stars), for their progress, but the focus remains on learning rather than accumulating prizes.
The stars can be exchanged for clothes for the elephant to wear. On top of that, after finishing a book, your child unlocks a short video or song related to the story.
Story Workshop
Your child can “create” their own story by selecting a character, setting, and adventure. Then, Ello generates a story, reads it aloud, and asks your child to read a few words!
What Could Be Improved?
Corrections
The app is intentionally designed not to correct every single mistake your child makes.
The idea is to avoid overwhelming children with constant corrections and to keep the flow of reading as natural as possible. In order to get help with a specific word, children need to tap on it.
If they’re stuck, the app really encourages them to ask for assistance rather than immediately stepping in.
While this approach makes sense, there are moments where I think an automatic correction might be a better option.
That said, as a parent, you can track your child’s progress through the ‘Words Your Child Found Tricky’ section in the progress report. This gives you insight into which words they struggled with and might need extra practice on.
Voice Recognition
Their voice recognition technology isn’t perfect. Sometimes, if a child says a similar-sounding word, the app may not catch the mistake.
But to be fair, this is pretty common with new apps. As they gather more user feedback and refine their machine-learning models, the accuracy is likely to improve over time.
Highlight Each Word
I’d also love for the system to highlight each word as my child reads it. This would mimic the action of pointing to the words as you read them, which we know it’s very good for beginning readers. I understand, however, that this is my personal preference, but I think it would make sense.
On this, you may be wondering – but don’t they do this that at all? Only when you stop for a while, or when you make a mistake. When that happens, they point to the word where you left it, or where you had a mistake, so you keep trying before you decide to tap on that word for the system to correct you.
Comprehension Questions
I’d love it if they included comprehension questions at the end of books.
Price
The app, at the time of recording, costs $14.99 month. You can create up to four reader profiles per account.
Does Ello have a free trial? Yes, the app offers a 7-day free trial, but with our exclusive promo code you get a 30 day free trial instead. Use the PROMO CODE lrh, and register through their website here
They also have a “Gift Ello” option that I haven’t personally used, but you may find interesting if you are looking for an educational gifts. You can actually gift the “gift of reading.”
For 59$ (again, at the time of writing this article), you get a subscription to Ello for 3 months, 5 classic books (paper books) and a box with goodies. It all comes nicely presented in beautiful box. More information here (scroll down to where it says “Gift Ello”)
Final Thoughts: A Great Tool with Room to Grow
Ello is a fantastic tool for beginner and struggling readers. I especially love:
✔️ The decodable book collection
✔️ The interactive phonics lessons
✔️ The fun but balanced reward system
✔️ More affordable than similar apps (plus 30-day free trial with our promo code “lhr”)
That said, no app is perfect. The voice recognition isn’t always spot-on, especially if a child speaks too softly or doesn’t articulate clearly. If a child mumbles or speaks too softly, the app might not catch the mistake. That’s why it’s important to remind kids to read loud and clear—a little trick I use is telling them that the elephant character is a bit hard of hearing, which always gets a laugh!
Overall, Ello is a great tool to support early readers, but like any learning method, it works best with a bit of parental guidance—especially in the beginning.
Hey there! I’m Laura – an author, YouTuber, blogger, and the creator of the “Learning Reading Hub” platform. I created this space to dive into the world of reading instruction and to shout from the rooftops about how vital it is to use the right methods for teaching reading. I’ve got a TEYL certification (Teaching English to Young Learners), plus a Journalism degree from the University of Navarra in Spain, along with a Master’s Degree in Communication.
I’ve always loved digging into research, jotting down my thoughts, connecting with people, and sharing what makes me tick. With a background in marketing, digital projects, and the education scene (especially language learning), I’m all about wearing different hats.
When my first kid needed to learn how to read, it opened my eyes to the challenges and complexities involved. This journey took me through a rollercoaster of self-teaching, eye-opening discoveries, and yeah, some letdowns too. There’s so much conflicting info out there, along with methods that just don’t cut it. And let’s face it, these issues are way too common.
Now, I’m all about channeling that passion (without sounding like a know-it-all!) and sharing my journey. My mission? Making it easier for those who are on the same path I once was.
My heart’s with my family and the amazing Learning Reading Hub project. I live with my husband and two little ones, raising them in a bi-lingual environment (English and Spanish).
