For children aged four to eight
A patient tutor for every child, one page at a time.
One-on-one help with reading, writing and arithmetic, always at your child’s own pace.
Why one-on-one works.
In 1984 the educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom published a finding that has challenged schools ever since. Children taught one-on-one by a tutor did dramatically better than children taught the same material in an ordinary class.1
“The average tutored student was above 98% of the students in the control class.”
Later studies have found smaller gains than Bloom’s, but the direction has held up. A 2020 review of nearly a hundred controlled trials found tutoring to be one of the most consistent ways to help children learn.2
None of this is a secret. A good tutor notices the moment a child gets lost and goes back. They move on as soon as a child is ready, instead of waiting for the rest of the room. They have time for questions, and patience for the same question twice.
The trouble has always been cost: one adult for every child is something few families can afford, and no school can. Nellie exists to bring that kind of patient, personal attention home.
What Nellie teaches.
The three foundations every later subject rests on, one small step at a time.
Letter sounds, then blending them into words, then short books read together and talked about afterwards.
Say each sound, then slide them together.
What else is hot like the sun?
A sample of what your child might see.
For grown-ups
See how your child is growing.
Your child sees stories and games. You get a short, plain view of their week, so you always know what they’re working on and how to help.
Minutes learning
A simple chart of how long your child spent with Nellie each day.
Skills growing
Each skill in plain words, from just started to strong.
A note from Nellie
What Nellie noticed this week, plus one small thing to try at home.
A daily time limit
You choose how long Nellie is available each day.
A help to the classroom, not a rival.
Teachers turn a room full of children into a class, and they know your child in a way an app never will. What they rarely have is time to sit with each child for as long as that child needs. That is the gap Nellie is built for.
The same building blocks
Letter sounds, handwriting, spelling patterns and number sense: the foundations early classrooms are already working on.
Practice, at home
Extra time on what your child is learning at school, at their own pace, so lessons in class have something to build on.
Alongside, not instead
Nellie doesn’t replace homework, reading time with you, or a teacher who knows your child. It adds to them.
How Nellie is different
A tutor, not just another learning app.
Most kids’ apps give every child the same lessons. Nellie gets to know your child.
Reading, writing and math in one place
One tutor for all three, so your child isn’t switching between apps.
It grows with your child
Nellie remembers how your child learns and continues one story from lesson to lesson.
Mistakes become lessons
No hearts or lives to lose. When your child gets stuck, Nellie walks them through it step by step.
You’re part of it
A weekly summary of what your child is learning, plus simple things to try at home.
| What to look for | Most learning apps | Single-subject AI tutors | Nellie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adapts to each child | Somewhat | Yes | Yes |
| Reading, writing and math | Varies | One subject | All three |
| Remembers your child over time | Rarely | Some | Yes, one ongoing story |
| No penalties for mistakes | Varies | Varies | Always |
| Tips for parents at home | Rarely | Some | Every week |
The waitlist
Save a place for your family.
We’re opening Nellie to a small number of families at a time. Leave your name and we’ll write when there’s room for yours.
- It costs nothing to join.
- We’ll only write to you about Nellie.
- We never ask for your child’s name.
- Reply to any of our emails and we’ll remove you.