Item: Lalilo
Rating: 10
Author: Kim Medin

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use Lalilo as an extra boost of practice for my students who are learning to read. I teach special education, so all of my students have some kind of disability. Lalilo evens out the playing field for my students, who are all able to increase their reading abilities using it. Every student I introduce to Lalilo loves it! I am able to use Lalilo practice as a reward for my students when they finish the regular work in our classroom.

Pros and Cons

Lalilo allows each student to be placed at the exactly right level for their skills.
Lalilo makes learning to read fun by using badges that students earn for each skill.
Lalilo gives students the ability to request easier or harder lessons based on their current skills.

For my lower students, it would be nice to have more practice in alphabetical skills before moving on to reading.
Sometimes the sound glitches out and we have to restart the lesson.

Most Important Features

Ease of use
Leveling for students
Feedback so I can see the exact skills my students are working on

Return on Investment

For a student who only knew 18 alphabet letters when beginning Lalilo, the student has increased overall performance to recognizing 80% of the "ut" family of words.
Students in grades 3 and 5 are increasing their reading levels from K and 1 to the end of year 2.

Alternatives Considered

Lalilo requires more active participation from students than does RAZ. As a teacher, I find that my students are becoming better decoders as a result of using Lalilo for extra reading practice. RAZ allows students to be read to, which my students really like, but Lalilo requires that students put in some work before they earn a story.

Key Insights

Do you think Lalilo delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Lalilo's feature set?

Yes

Did Lalilo live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Lalilo go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Lalilo again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Freckle by Renaissance

Likelihood to Recommend

Given students whose behaviors can affect their ability to learn, Lalilo is well suited because it allows students to begin at their just right level and move ahead at their own pace. The fun factor is high enough that students stay engaged, even when they might not do so on other learning platforms. Students also enjoy comparing their badges, so for students who are motivated by competition with their friends, this works in their favor.

Usability

Students do not need any training to use Lalilo. As a teacher, I did not need any training, either. It is a simple process to set up and very user friendly. Having used it for almost 2 years now, I have not needed to contact customer service for any issues.

Usability Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar	Not well integrated

Easy Tasks

Rostering
Getting students through the placement assessment

Difficult Tasks

None

Kids love Lalilo!

Overall Satisfaction with Lalilo