SAN FRANCISCO (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Itdeveloper of the world's most advanced ai-powered reading app, today announced that it has been included in the annual list 2024 Fortune changes the world list that recognizes exceptional companies dedicated to addressing global challenges and generating a positive impact on the world.
Ello’s ai-powered reading app leverages the world’s largest dataset of child speech and largest library of decodable children’s books, to help parents with struggling readers for a tiny fraction of what a reading tutor would cost. It’s powered by Adaptive Learn, its next-generation ai system that understands, adapts, and responds to a child just as a teacher or reading coach would, using principles backed by the science of reading to create a fun and educational journey for children in kindergarten through third grade.
In the US alone, there are approximately 16 million children between the ages of 4 and 8 who can benefit from an ai reading tutor that can hear and respond to their voices (young children can’t type to interact with an ai tutor, so the ability to recognize their speech is critical). Research shows that one-on-one tutoring is the gold standard for reading instruction, but the costs of private tutoring can be high and are unaffordable for most families. Combining cutting-edge ai for children’s speech with an extensive library of decodable books, Ello’s ai Reading Tutor provides one-on-one reading support to any child with access to a tablet or iPhone.
“We are thrilled to see Ello recognized by Fortune and hope this sheds light on how ai can be used for good and leveraged to improve education in our country. We are honored to be included on the list alongside many other companies making a difference in our world,” said Dr. Elizabeth Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Ello. “We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to become confident readers and Ello has immense potential to democratize access to high-quality reading support and advance childhood literacy globally.”
She decided to put all her effort into it. e-book library Online, free, and accessible to the public. This library of over 800 decodable books—one of the largest in the world—covers a Science of Reading-aligned scope and sequence of phonics from kindergarten through third grade. Decodable books are the gold standard for teaching reading, but they are expensive and in short supply. “We ultimately decided that this resource we created was too valuable to families and teachers to keep behind a paywall,” said Ello co-founder and CEO Tom Sayer.
Ello has several initiatives to make the subscription app accessible to all families, regardless of resources. Ello has partnered with low-income schools in pilot programs to offer the service for free, and has Ello Access, a deeply discounted subscription for families receiving government assistance.
Ello Access, the company’s newest program, offers a special discount program designed to support families who are part of government programs. Eligible customers will receive a $12.00 per month discount on their Ello Digital subscription, reducing the monthly cost from $14.99 to just $2.99.
To apply for Ello Access, please follow these steps via Ello Access FormParticipants may qualify if they have an EBT card or are enrolled in programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), SNAP, Medicaid, Direct Express (DE) Debit Card, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), Tribal Assistance Eligibility Letter (TTANF), or Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP).
Since its inception in 2020, Ello has grown exponentially: tens of thousands of children have been served and more than 600,000 books have been read. 83% of families say their children’s reading skills have improved since using the app. The app is available in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and will soon be available internationally.
Fortune's Changing the World 2024 list was selected and ranked by Fortune editors based on the magazine's reporting and analysis. Fortune writers and editors evaluated companies based on these four factors: measurable social impact, business results, degree of innovation, and corporate integration. The final list was selected from a pool of 250 nominees. See the full list here.
About It
Ello is helping to solve childhood illiteracy by scaling 1:1 instruction to maximize the learning potential of all children, regardless of resources. Its first product is the world’s most advanced reading companion, powered by patented speech recognition and generative ai. It listens, understands, and interacts with children to teach them critical reading skills as they read aloud. Ello was founded by a team of experts in education, child development, and ai, and is backed by investors including Y Combinator, Goodwater, Project A, and Homebrew. Learn more at https://ello.com.
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