Reading
Ello
Kids read aloud to Ello, a friendly elephant tutor who listens, helps with slips and adjusts the next session.
Ello pairs reading and early math with a cartoon elephant tutor who listens. A child reads a book aloud, and Ello follows along, gently correcting mistakes and, the maker says, using what it hears to shape the next session. Daily Quests last up to 15 minutes and mix phonics games, reading practice and math activities on counting, numbers and addition. The library is described as holding more than 1,200 decodable books written around the science of reading, with thousands more at and above each child’s level, and kids can make books of their own. Grown-ups see progress reports and a daily plan tailored to the child. The short sessions look built for routine, maybe a few minutes before school or just after. Kids already reading chapter books comfortably may find the early levels a little easy.
- Ages
- Ages 5–9
- Works on
- iPhone and iPad app; Android app
- Topics
- Reading, Math, Early learning
- Languages
- English
- Listed
- 2026-10-18
What kids do
- Read a book aloud to Ello
- Complete a Daily Quest
- Play phonics and counting games
- Make a book of their own
Who it suits
Ages 5–9. The publisher provides this age guidance.
Notes for parents
Sessions last about 15 minutes, and the app lays out a plan for each child. Ello listens through the microphone of a tablet or phone.
What you need
- iPhone, iPad or Android device
- Microphone
More Reading
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- Reading.com: A parent and child go through scripted phonics lessons together, followed by decodable stories and practice games.
- Reading Eggs: Pre-reading, first reading, systematic phonics and later comprehension are split into separate programs aimed at different ages.
- Teach Your Monster to Read: Children design a monster and take it through games that match letters to sounds, blend words and read sentences.
- Hooked on Phonics Learning: Guided reading activities come with an ebook library meant to go alongside the lessons.
- Teach Monster: Reading for Fun: Recipes, signs and instructions are the reading material in a village adventure where helping characters earns books for a monster’s shelf.
- Vooks: Animated storybooks with narration, where each word is highlighted as it is read aloud.
- Endless Reader: Animated words are built letter by letter, dropped into short sentence puzzles and then acted out in a little scene.