Why we built Ello
A note from
Dr. Elizabeth Adams
Hello,
Elizabeth here, co-founder of Ello, clinical psychologist, and mom of two, Lili and Jaden, who couldn't be more different from each other if they tried.
Growing up, Lili wouldn't sound out a word unless she was sure she would get it right. Jaden’s currently barreling through and inventing half the words.
Their pace, their spark, the thing that makes something finally click: it's entirely their own. I knew this as a clinician long before I knew it as a parent. And yet, for all of that knowledge, I still watched both of my kids sit in classrooms built for the average child. Not for them. For the average.
The research has been clear for decades: one-on-one teaching is the most effective way to learn. This is how you can notice the moment something isn't landing and slow down or try a different way.
That’s what great teaching is. And it’s what most learning tools can’t do.
We built Ello to change that. To create something that responds to a child. Not just delivers content, but teaches.
Imagine a custom story about dragons this week, ice princesses the next — woven with the letter blends your child needs to practice right now. Math exercises that reshape themselves in the moment to match how your child learns best…
This is the product I wish I’d had for my kids.
- Dr. Elizabeth Adams, Ello Co-founder
Why build another app?
Most kids' apps are built by game developers solving for one thing: how long can we keep a child on screen? Ello was built by teachers solving a different problem: how do we actually teach them?
Our approach to reading
We teach reading the way it’s actually learned.
Grounded in the science of reading, including phonics, fluency, and comprehension
Real-time support when your child gets stuck on a word
Practice at the “just right” level — not too easy, not too hard
When a child struggles, the support changes based on what they need. A tricky word might be broken into sounds. A missed meaning might lead to a quick comprehension prompt. A repeated error might trigger targeted practice on that pattern. Your child isn’t just exposed to words. They’re guided through them.
Our approach to math
We focus on building understanding, not memorization.
Breaking problems into manageable steps
Visual tools like number lines and representations
Adapting support based on how your child is thinking
If a child is stuck, Ello might shift the problem into a visual form, walk through one step at a time, or connect it to something they already understand. The goal is to make the thinking visible — not just arrive at an answer. The goal isn’t just getting the right answer. It’s helping your child understand why.
Teaching English as a second language
In the countries where we teach English as a second language, we know the journey looks different, and we've built Ello to honor that. A child learning to read in their second language is doing something extraordinary every single day. We approach multilingual learners with patience, cultural sensitivity, and methods grounded in what the research tells us about language acquisition.
Scaffolded English literacy that builds on what multilingual learners already know
Stories and content that reflect children's own worlds and experiences
Pacing and support structures designed for the unique demands of second-language reading
One-on-one teaching
Decades of research point to the same conclusion: children learn best when they have a teacher who's focused entirely on them. One who knows exactly where they are, meets them there, and adjusts in real time. In 1984, educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom found that students who received 1:1 tutoring outperformed 98% of students in traditional classrooms. He called it the "2 Sigma Problem" because the results were clear, but no one could figure out how to deliver 1:1 instruction at scale. This is the principle at the heart of Ello. Every child learns differently, and they learn best when someone is paying close attention to how.