AI reading app Ello donates iPads, books, and services to two hospitals
Ello will help the hospitals offer school programs to chronically ill children
There's been a lot of talk about learning loss for children during the pandemic, and the lingering effects, but the same problem arises for chronically ill children who spend a lot of time in the hospital: a report from the American Association of Pediatrics found that the average time students with multiple disabilities are absent from school is 28.9 days each time they are hospitalized.
While hospitals do develop their own programs, eligibility depends on factors such as which state they're in: Michigan’s threshold for providing services is only 5 days, while Texas’ is 28 days. In addition, school programs developed by hospitals also have varying requirements, as some start school services on the first day of hospitalization, while others require inpatient hospital stay of longer than 10 days.
To assist hospitals in providing these programs to their student-age patients, Ello, developer of an AI reading app, announced it will be making a donation to two hospitals, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and Children’s National Hospital.
The initiative includes providing these hospitals with iPads, hundreds of early-age children’s books, and free access to the Ello app, as well as literacy activities to help children on their learning journey.
Founded in 2019, Ello acts as a child’s reading buddy, listening to them read aloud, coaching them through tricky words and mistakes, and then motivating the child with points and prizes. Ello books are adapted to the child’s reading level and interests; Ello books are also written using the Science of Reading, meaning they are "decodable," which the company describes as "a type of writing that is proven to be best for children learning to read."
Ello now serves tens of thousands of children and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2024. The company offers a fully digital package, or parents can add a monthly physical book set as well.
Dr. Elizabeth Adams, a Licensed Clinical Child Psychologist and co-founder of Ello, will be meeting with families and representatives from the hospital’s Child Life Services team.
“Early in my career working at hospitals, I noticed this loss of learning among young patients, especially in oncology and other specialties where the children are absent for long periods from their peers and school environment,” she said in a statement.
“I’m thrilled that Ello can be part of a solution for these patients and their families, to help with the literacy support they need while they are hospitalized while also giving them fun, engaging books and activities to do to break up very long days.”
(Image source: ello.com)
