Testimonials

This work is really a masterpiece. Some of our students are already through Grammar One, and it has magnificently helped them in their study of English as a second language. Many of them felt literally recovered in regard to their study of English. So, on behalf of all our students, we are very thankful and happy to have these works available.

It would seem that someone with 24 years of high school English teaching experience, a master’s degree, and decades of experience in the field would breeze through a foundational course like Ollie. However, even the most experienced educators can gain new perspectives and insights from revisiting the fundamentals.

I found Ollie to be THE foundational tool for literacy. I struggled on some meanings of small words I use every day. For me, the most important point is that the Ollie course made me think about language, not as a set of rules, but as a tool to use language to assist my use of language. It wasn’t just definitions of small words; it got me thinking of different ways I could say/write something, and how the words are used to connect language and its exact meaning.

Being a coach, a teacher, a language enthusiast, someone who specializes in English, curriculum, and instruction, I never would have guessed that Ollie is fun and jam-packed with little words I never knew I needed to help me increase my literacy!

All the courses I have done so far have been AMAZING! I feel I have been given a tool that I know for sure will bring sanity to the world. Learning is fun! I always had a deep-down feeling that it was supposed to be that way, but now I have experienced it for myself. Thank you to all that contributed to me becoming a better person.

When I started this program, I did not know how much English I did not know. I grew up in New York in the late 1950s; my parents were from Italy and did not know how to speak English. I had a hard time reading and got utterly lost in school.

I tried to fix this many times during my life and paid a lot of money to tutors, but they were not able to fix my literacy. I was just a parrot, just saying words but not fully understanding them or really understanding how to use them. It was not until this program that I started to understand grammar at all. Before, I was totally clueless! So as I did the program, my understanding became better and better.

I noticed people started to understand me better and understood them as well. Wow! My biggest change is that I do not have to get someone to translate how and what I was saying into something others could understand! This was heartbreaking to me because I was never even fully sure that these people fully understood me.

But now I understand enough basic English to write this success story. And I know you can understand what I am saying. I’d like to thank the creators of the program for their work in producing this amazing program. I’d also like to thank all the volunteers running the program for the community. It has been a lifesaver for me. 

By the by, I am 73 years old. It’s better late than never.

I wouldn’t have believed it was possible to fully learn English grammar in just two and a half days — and in a way that is both simple and practical. Even after forty years of studying English in school, I gained clarity on certain concepts for the very first time, as I had never really delved into them before. Many things in English texts now seem clear to me; thanks to this grammatical knowledge, I can finally see how the language actually works. This is an absolute essential for anyone who wants to understand, speak, translate, or teach English. I also think it helps one understand many aspects of his own language (Czech) better. I can no longer imagine not knowing these things as a translator. Thank you so much for this excellent material and service! 🙂

I really enjoyed this course, and I gained a lot from it. I finally understood the grammatical differences, and I actually enjoy grammar much more now. It was great that everything was explained simply and that I always got to practice through drills. I have a much better grasp of grammar, and reading English texts has become easier for me.

Simply put, you will understand life in a new light.

I graduated from private school as a top student with a high GPA. I passed school, so clearly I ‘understood it.’ But a piece of paper doesn’t dictate ability, only being able to actually apply what you learn does!

The literacy program and learning the simple words (which no school teaches) will truly let you understand what you read. Texts won’t seem hazy or vague; you’ll finally be able to grasp what you read and be confident.

Give yourself a true shot at life by doing this literacy program!

It has been a wild ride.

Most people don’t realize that the grammar taught in modern schools isn’t logical. They were taught from an early age, right through to higher education, that it is logical, like a science.  

But they might have noticed it was difficult to understand. 

But now, with this course, the door is opening to actually understanding grammar and the little words.

It’s like, imagine you’re trying to learn to drive a car for the first time. You open the manual, and half of it is in Chinese.  They don’t explain the Chinese terms in English. You’re trying to figure it out.

You’re trying to understand it, but you don’t. That’s a crude example.  

It’s more like you thought that the whole thing was in English, and you thought you were just stupid, because “Look, the teacher understands it. The other students are reading it. Wow – I must be stupid!”

So now they give you the real book and take the Chinese out, and all of a sudden, “Wow!”

Now you can think with it, and you’re not stupid at all.

All my life I did not know what I didn’t know. From today I will know what I know even if it is only one word (the word at). It is a start! These are the nuts and bolts of the English language. I now have a communication tool with which I can express place and location. I didn’t get it until I got it.

What was life like before? When I was supposed to learn I ran away. I didn’t know there was a structure of learning. My aunt was an academic. She worked for the government and told me, “If you cannot spell and read like the other guys, you will be called stupid.”

I felt guilty and ashamed. In the past, I was running a program to protect myself. That’s how I existed. I ran away!

When my kids came home for homework I went fishing! I would go to the end of the river with the fishing rod because I didn’t know how to communicate with anybody, including my daughters. I had to run away from my kids. I didn’t want to be confronted with the embarrassment that I couldn’t help. I felt guilt and shame all my life because I couldn’t spell, read, or write as the other guys could.

My mental health was very fragile. Nobody presented me with a system of learning and understanding. I never had that awareness that I could communicate through English.

Expression comes in many guises. I was looking for satisfaction. Something I was good at: the kitchen. Here, I had my structure and I knew what I had to do.

I knew something was missing, but I was not aware of what was missing.

Ollie the Elephant is what I was looking for my whole life! In my education, this was hidden from the start. This is what was missing. I didn’t know that I didn’t know.

This program is like it’s made from heaven. This is amazing! The gradient work in it made communication so much easier and with that clarity of communication.

With that level of communication, I can express myself. I can be me.

It was easy and very pleasurable to study and move while studying grammar. It helps me to create sentences easier and faster. These booklets are fantastic, so simple and so effective.

In the beginning, my son could not say a sentence. After three lessons he started speaking English. He could say his ideas in English. It was a surprise for him, and it was a big surprise for me! The program and the exercises are magical.

This was the best lesson of English I ever had for my son (twelve years old). He said that today he learned as much as he usually learns in school during one entire year. Thank you very much to the creators of this program and thank you to Marie for being an excellent coach.

I like very much the easiness and effectiveness of this method. Since I know the second meaning of the word “AND,” I noticed that I understand better the English advertisements and texts. (And actually not just the English ones) 🙂

I started seven weeks ago with zero English. I couldn’t understand anything. At first, I skipped coming to lessons to go to work, but I realized that these lessons were important and helped me a lot. I decided to learn English first, and then go to work, as it becomes much easier.

I observe in the group that there are beginners and others are advanced, but it works for everyone.

I love the material — it is very good! It is so simple, like for children. I showed it to friends and they were surprised how simple and good the booklets are. They agreed that it is easy to learn English with them.

The owner of the house I live in, an Irish lady, helped me read the books. She said, “They are really good!” She became curious and is now waiting for me to bring the next books home because she wants to study them too. She said, “The pictures are great, they show the action, you can understand the sentence from the picture. The information in the books is very well organized like in a shelf.”

It was really great. By the word “AT” I realized that I was missing the first part of the fourth definition. And just this realization and clearing it up made me faster and gave me a full concept of the sentence with which I would be bothered in the past until I would clear it up fully in the dictionaries. The simplicity of the program is simply great.

I had tried more than fifty times to learn reading. I really wanted to get a driver’s license, but the classes were too hard. I couldn’t make it and they gave up on me. They told me that I have to get employed anyway. So I ended up working for the rubbish pick up company. But here, this literacy program gives me hope and it is fun.

I realized how much this English course does. I get a ‘grid’ I can put my vocabulary on and fill the holes with new words I learn, but the main concept is there, because I understand the small words and the grammar.

It’s easier now to build on that for more conceptual understanding.

I had an interesting epiphany on the drill. When you have a definition with three parts — like ‘in the place of,’ ‘instead of,’ ‘as a substitute’ — you need to get the concept of every part in order to get the full concept of the whole definition. If one is missing, you can’t fully grasp it. That’s so amazing.

I did not believe that I would have so many wins on learning these definitions. I am really looking forward to studying English texts.

It is like a Malakoff cake. You put the biscuits (little words) with coffee and rum aroma (drilling), and then you fill it with buttercream (the other text), and you get the full taste of the cake when reading and really understanding it.

And the cherry on the cake is that you can use some of the definitions for the German words too, because most of them are only described in terms in the German ‘Duden’ (dictionary). So this program gives you a better understanding of your own language too.

I realized that I kept using the word ‘for,’ but I had no real definition. It was simply put at the end of a sentence sometimes.

I had a win on drilling, and I shortened the way I learn the definitions. Before, I had a whole procedure of ‘doing and undoing’ to really get it. Now it goes straight into my vocabulary, without any of the ‘helping’ automaticities I made up before.

Today I learned the different uses of the word “to.” I am happy with the new knowledge. I improved and I am happy working with my coach.

On doing a drill I realized how many automaticities I had and how they cracked apart. Afterwards I feel like I had an empty mind — I started with a blank slate when learning the new definitions by drilling them in until I really understood them and could see that I really HAVE THEM now.

While learning longer definitions by heart, I realized I am able to learn English texts verbatim. I was really surprised that I could do that.

Drilling in these definitions until I really had them was like being a child, learning a language in real life, by repeating it over and over (only we do it in fast-forward-speed on the drills).

I had an amazing win. When doing the drill, I realized that it starts with learning the words, but then they become better understood, and then after going through the drill a few more times, suddenly I went totally blank and the helping-automaticity broke apart. I felt like I was saying the definitions for the first time. They also become shorter somehow, and suddenly were really mine. I could grasp them. I felt like I really understood them with a full conceptual understanding. I never had that before with the English language. English had always been simply a kind of a crutch I used to make myself understood or communicate with others, or to find something in an English book. But now I think that I will be able to really study materials in English with a better grasp and therefore really get it.

This was the reason why I avoided studying in English: I was afraid of not getting it. I guess I developed a new ability to study.

Thank you to the teachers who spend whole weekends — a lot of extra time — with us to get trained as instructors fast.

I’m actually sad that I’ve finished this part.

I really enjoyed the grammar; I loved the feeling of understanding it each time I read and clarified a specific definition, did the exercises, and successfully completed the drill.

I could always sense and feel the progress I was making. I’ve actually observed it, and continue to observe it, in my everyday life: when reading, speaking, studying, and so on.

I’m already looking forward to the next grammar section.

I’m really eager for it. 🙂

Thank you. It’s great.

Even though I have been speaking, reading, and writing English for more than 40 years (and fluently for 30 years ), it is only now that I found out I was using this language incorrectly.

It was only because my viewpoint of certain words, like of, was that “it was part of the language and did not have own meaning,” and that it is “only used in a certain way.”

This was preventing me from understanding some sentences.

I had to make sentences in such a way as to avoid the use of these misunderstood words!

This began to change during this course [Ollie the Elephant].

I finally began to understand English.

I think I also began to understand the Slovak language itself.  It is a bit of a surprising realization — but that is even more fantastic.

I decided to take this course because I hadn’t succeeded in my English studies elsewhere. I had let the “gradient” and misunderstandings overwhelm me; I struggled to study quickly, and certainly couldn’t achieve genuine, full comprehension.

Here, I’ve rehabilitated 🙂 my ability to study again! It’s amazing! I really needed this! On top of that, I’ve gained a tremendous grasp of written English — and spoken English, of course — and I feel much more confident constructing sentences and translating their meanings. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to work with the English language at a conscious level.

Thank you, and I look forward to what comes next!

Miro and Adri, you are amazing—keep up the great work; we need you! 🙂

On behalf of our school, KILIMANJARO GENIUS ACADEMY, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the knowledge gained through the Ollie the Elephant booklets, which enabled us to build a strong foundation of English language literacy.

Firstly, the OLLIE training has enlightened me as the head teacher of this school and as the first person to receive this privilege in Tanzania, and now I’m transferring it to my colleagues. So far, I can stand and express ideas confidently, adhering to the basic foundation received from the booklets. I have realized that it’s just smaller words, which most people ignore, that matter in language, not bigger words.

Secondly, my team members (teachers) are very grateful for the skills they’ve gained, which they pass on to students in our classrooms. Seven teachers have benefited from this program; therefore, they are passing it on to more than 10 students in our school, from Primary 1 to Primary 4. So far, teachers are experiencing a drastic improvement in their English as they are using most of the words learned in their daily communication and classroom instruction.

Lastly, our students are very excited about the program and always very active when Ollie’s time comes. The simple language, examples, and clarifying cartoons and pictures used in these booklets help our students learn quickly and enthusiastically.

When communicating among themselves and in class, students can apply the words they have learned in the different ways shown in the booklets.

We hope that this program will change our school and our country, Tanzania, as far as the English language is concerned.

I’m in love! I’m in love with Ollie. Ollie likes, Ollie chooses, Ollie wants and Ollie teaches with love. Ollie is love because he is happy. Ollie is love because Ollie is kind. Ollie is love because Ollie is gracious. Ollie is love because Ollie shares. Ollie shines with beauty because Ollie is art. Ollie is an aesthetic. I love school again because Ollie is there. Ollie shares the world of knowledge in the keenest way that we learn in the beginning when life was new and innocent and gives us the grand tour using the first steps of small, common words. I love coming to school. Ollie is here. And Ollie is there. Hi Ollie! I’m ready. Let’s start. Ollie, you know if I had the money, I would lift you up to the sky so you could shine bright, day and night all over the city. I’d stick you on my papers and wear you on my neck. You make me feel like you. We have choices together. We can learn and grow where others do not dare. Learning is easy now.

I realized the differences between various words, clearly defined the different types of words, their functions, and where they can be placed in a sentence. I discovered that I had been using certain things for 15 years without actually knowing the reasons why, and I didn’t even have the correct definitions for some of the words. I really enjoy learning and educating myself in this way. I can feel my confidence is growing. Thank you — I highly recommend it.

I learned how to use the word “AND” and I drilled it in text. The technique of this type of learning attracted my attention and I will use it more in other texts as well. I will be more noticing the new information and most probably it will help my understanding. It was generally fun.

The intro lesson was perfect and mainly I am able to remember what I was drilling.

About a year and a half ago we had severe problems with our thirteen-year-old daughter and her school. She was experiencing difficulties in English (not her mother tongue) classes. She refused to speak. She refused to even try to speak English to anyone.

Whenever we, as parents, tried to help her do homework, it would always end up in huge discussions. She would throw a tantrum if we asked her if she understood what she read.

She would get into fights with her classmates. It was a very unhappy situation because we felt that no matter what we did, we could not help her.

She did not want to read any books and she hated schoolwork.

We began to do the Ollie program with her, and from the very first three to four lessons the situation started to change big time.

Quickly she realized that if there was something she did not understand, it was not because of her or that there was something ‘mystically’ wrong with her. She, herself, found out that if there is some text she doesn’t understand, most likely there is one or more words she doesn’t know the definition of, and all she needs to do is clarify the meaning and then she can understand.

We honestly could not believe the changes with her. But gradually she started to speak in class, she would get into fewer fights with her classmates, she started to find subjects that interested her and wanted to learn and practice these subjects.

Last week she told us that she was now one of the better students in her English class. She has conversations on her own with English speaking friends. Last weekend she suddenly told us she had spent most of the weekend reading ‘The Hunger Games’ for herself just because she liked it.

We later watched the movies and she demonstrated fantastic and detailed understanding of the books.

Even German grammar is a subject she masters because, as she told me, ‘If I don’t know what it means I just look it up in a dictionary.’

Today she comes and asks for help with her homework if there is something she doesn’t get, and there are no arguments anymore. We can work together!

We are so happy that we did the Ollie program with her. It is not like all learning and school is a ‘pink sky of happiness,’ but she now knows and has the confidence that she can learn and wants to do that.

Best thing we ever did for her and ourselves.

I realized the importance of knowing the meaning of the “small” words for the actual use of them further. I learned the meaning of the “AND”. It was a super epiphany and a chance to drill the use of all of the meanings of the word “AND.”

It was very interesting and also easy. Step by step I got used to and grooved in each meaning of the word “AND”. AT the end I had a great feeling.

Studying grammar helped me to orient in parts of speech more quickly.

It also gave me new insights into definitions, enabling me to assist my students more effectively and understand the misunderstandings that occasionally arise when a word can function as more than one part of speech.

Grammar Book One is an amazing course! I have been an English teacher for 25 years and have worked in public school for most of my vocation. I know good stuff when I see it. This course helped me to use grammar, not memorize it. It walked me through drills where I had to synthesize parts of speech and practice until I could easily use words with different parts of speech. It sounds easy, right? However, it has the ability to find the voids in one’s grammar education and fill them.

I have seen the decline in literacy in each freshman class that comes through our doors, and I talk to teachers every day who are apathetic about illiteracy in public schools today. These teachers struggle to teach reading and writing to high schoolers since they are not reading teachers, but literature and composition teachers. Instead, they find themselves teaching handwriting and grammar practice (assuming they know what a noun is). I can see how this course could solve many of the problems we see with declining literacy.

I love that the course uses a gradient, so that one could review what they probably already know, but if not, provides a teachable moment. It progressively increases rigor to review basic parts of speech. It uses a parity voice and allows for drilling, which cuts out memorization and encourages conversations about how to use the English language. One truly learns to use grammar as a tool for literacy and communication, which is the basis for literacy. In other words, if one knows how words are used, the context becomes clear, and understanding takes place. The result is a competent and literate person who can read and write.

I have experienced not only a review of grammar for myself, but have also noticed an increase in my own reading comprehension and ability to write to communicate exactly what I want to say on the first try.

— G.M., English Teacher

Thanks go to H.T. for introducing this new way of learning English by using different words like “at,” “and,” “to,” “with,” “on,” “in,” etc.

On my side, I had lots of fun learning with the Ollie booklets. Now, I can use different words, especially those small words that I had never used correctly. Now, I can use them effectively. For example, the word “at” is used to show the position or place where someone or something is doing something. Or it can show the number or amount, price, temperature, size, or speed. It’s the same for other small words like “on,” “with,” “and,” and “to.” I can now use them correctly, compared to at first, when I hadn’t studied or learned these small words.

From these booklets, I succeeded in gaining the ability to write different texts correctly. Also, I can speak more smoothly in different conversations, inside and outside the class.

I can understand what someone is saying without any trouble. It is easy to understand what someone means without contradiction because these small words can make someone understand or not understand, depending on the nature of the communication between the two sides.

Lastly, thanks go to the author, Megan Tucker, for discovering this new way of learning English.

I came in feeling stupid, lost, and defeated.  I felt dull in the head and foggy. Now, only about one-third of the way through the course, I feel smarter, brighter, more intelligent, and more focused. My ability to look and to think is sharper.  This is not “think” like “after a cup of coffee.” This is “think” with a clearer mind.

I feel more hope in life. I feel younger and freer. I have more love for people. I feel more motivated. I want to do more: “Action, let’s go do!”

At 80 years old, this is surprising!

I have more and more get-up-and-go. I have more energy.  I’m very willing to keep communicating until the other guy understands me, which I’ve never seen before. Usually, I just say it vaguely, hope they get it, slap it out there, and end off.

I have become patient and willing to persist until I am understood. That’s new. It means my communication skills have improved.

I’m doing the course with my husband, which means we’re communicating better with one another and with the environment. It feels like we have come out of a fog.

I’m more able to reason. I’m more patient. I don’t get upset as easily.

Although I had previously studied grammar (for years), I never felt fully literate. I didn’t feel comfortable communicating in life; there was a nervous hysteria or anxiety when I would speak to others. My use of the English language was vague. My mind wasn’t sharply focused. 

But now, with this course helping me sort out my ignorance of how words are used, these things are definitely improving. I can see it.  

Most people don’t think there’s much trouble in this area. It’s normal English. But the same word, especially the little words, can be used in five different ways. The “normal” English grammar books and dictionaries, when defining these simple words, were totally confusing. There was no real clarity.

Then, I started the new grammar course. I gained focus and the ability to communicate my thoughts precisely. This was a game-changer. 

Who would have thought something so basic could change so much? Now, I learn and study much more easily. I’m more certain of myself because I can communicate more precisely.

I’m more logical when I speak, because the words I use are placed precisely enough to communicate exactly what I’m trying to write or to say to another person. 

Before this course, the grammar and the small words were a nightmare I’d grown used to. I was kind of numb to it, frankly, and I don’t think I am alone in this. 

My interpersonal relations are much better because I can clearly relay what I’m doing and thinking, so the other guy has no trouble understanding me. This raises the quality of my life. It increases my ability to do, and not just think or escape into some sort of significance. 

I can now confront the world and the livingness much more easily. 

Plus, it is really fun!

For the past twenty years, I struggled to figure out how to increase my ability to learn faster. I always felt very dumb, and it was only after doing this course that I was able to fix that completely. Now, I am excited to learn and read new material quickly.

This program is building up the solid basics of the language which then serves us for building up further knowledge and faster and more effective learning.

This program is a life saver.

I now understand better what I read. Being from France, I had trouble studying English even though I speak the language well.

It is now easier for me to read, as the words I didn’t totally understand were not the big complicated words, but the small simple words!

I now have a lot of hope that doing the entire program will help me become completely literate in English, and that I will be able to study any subject I want.

Thanks to William and Megan for coming up with this amazing and very doable program.

It is the best literacy program I have encountered so far!!!

The lesson was fun. I appreciate mainly the systematicity of this method of learning.

It’s a miracle! It involves a revolutionary approach to learning, focusing on simple words with easy-to-understand illustrations and drills.

The simplicity and effectiveness of this method are truly mind-blowing. There are 164 booklets available, each dedicated to the meaning of a simple word, complete with illustrations featuring an elephant.

This is exactly what we have been searching for!

I like to work with words and their meanings. After thoroughly clearing up the word and, I can perceive it much clearer. It is like looking through a window which has been cleaned.

Now, when I will work with text and teach, this word will no longer disturb me. I will not need to think about it, and I will have more attention available for the rest of my work.

Thank you for pleasant experience!

I want to thank the author, Megan Tucker, for writing these booklets. Because of these Ollie booklets, I am learning many things and a lot of those things help me to increase my knowledge and skill in communicating.

These booklets help me communicate better and finish communications without questions, so I can use my language very easily. That makes me feel very comfortable.

Also, the booklets help me to use words. They give me a lot of vocabulary and this improves my English very quickly. So now I can use as much vocabulary as possible.

Thank you for the Ollie booklets. I enjoy the lessons a lot.

A new drug rehabilitations trainee was recently routed onto the Ollie program, so as to learn English fast. One of the Algerians volunteered to help her get through the program at our office. They worked seven hours per day, for eight days.

At first, she spoke zero English. After the first day she said, “I now confront to speak English.”

After eight days on Ollie the Elephant — Learning Made Easy, she now communicates in English.

Thank you Megan and William for this program. I love it. I wish you further the best of success!!!

This material helped me better understand the challenges my students face. While distinguishing between parts of speech comes naturally and easily to me, that is not necessarily the case for everyone; thanks to this course, I have become aware of the various pitfalls that can cause difficulties, and I now know what to emphasize during lessons.

This is really fantastic. So simple, but so effective. Thank you for creating this method.

I would like to thank the writer, Megan Tucker, for publishing her Ollie the Elephant booklets.

The book has been very impactful to me as a person and to the students I am teaching in class.

I am now aware of the uses of “at,” “and,” “with,” and so on as they are used in different environments. This has increased my vocabulary when speaking the English language.

I have improved my language drastically, and my English language has improved very much, so I can now speak English frequently. Also, I apply most of my words during classes and in my home.

My students have also improved in the English language by writing and speaking it frequently in our school and in their homes. Parents have confirmed that children are disturbing them with the homework we gave them in the English language.

After finishing (actually, already while doing) the words from Part One, I realized my ability to duplicate what I read and speak increased very much. Also the speed in which I do it rose.

And on top of it, I started to recognize the other small words for which I still had no full concept, although, till now, I had thought that I did have it.

It was my first time participating in the English course. I learned the usage of the word “at.” This is very interesting. The materials give me the examples and also shows me how to use “at” in sentences. So I could quickly understand and apply them.

This is something that is not easy to learn in other English courses. It helped me clarify the definition of “at.”

I feel more confident to use “at.” I recommend this course to all my friends who need to learn English. Thank you Paula and Grace, you are the best.

While doing step one of the exercises for the word “does” things completely changed in my mind. Suddenly there was an unveiling of the truth of the simplicity of these two words, and I could see there was a very distinct difference.

This is a huge epiphany!

I feel like a screen has been taken off and I can understand better!!!!

I have used the Ollie the Elephant booklets with great success.

Yesterday I presented them to a group of people to explain successful applications with a former drug rehab graduate. He struggled so heavily, and I found he was illiterate.

I used the booklets to teach him reading. After that, he was able to study a booklet on personal values, saying, “I can read! I can understand that!”

Then he completed a course in life improvement, and graduated with tremendous success.

Stunning! He turned into a responsible, thriving person in literally two weeks.

Now, having done all seven parts of the full Ollie the Elephant: English Basic Words program I can see even more that every person on the planet needs it.

Why? Real clarification of those “little-big” words is simply the foundation of everything in the language.

A comparison comes to mind: when one wants concrete, one has to mix some little rocks, sand, water, and cement. Cement is the glue that makes that mixture super-strong, and a skyscraper or a bridge can be built with it. Without it, one would only have wet sand and rocks mixed together. I think no one would want to walk over a bridge built with wet sand and rocks. Actually, there would be no bridge at all. Just a pile of sand and rocks.

And I would say that the “cement” is those words being clarified on the Ollie program. As without it, one can’t really understand a language and be understood when trying to express himself.

Without them one can’t really go to dictionary and read what the other “big” words mean. Or read anything, from newspapers to textbooks in schools, or job descriptions at work.

I’m writer of textbooks for pupils in schools, and even with quite a good understanding of grammar, words, and language, I still had many realizations throughout the program. I also feel that I myself can read more easily and more smoothly.

Once again I would like to thank the creators for making this program, and for investing thousands and thousands of hours to make it in this super simple way.

Thank you!

Before this program, when I studied, I would quickly fall asleep. I was non-functional. I would just be fighting to stay awake. Instructors would ask when this started. I would reply that it started when I walked in the room, the first day. Nothing seemed to work.

I heard about the Ollie the Elephant program from a dear friend. It just indicated and I reached out to William and purchased the program.

When I started the program I would go “lights out” as soon as we opened a booklet. After hours of work though, this lessened and lessened to where now the phenomena is very light. I learned so much doing Ollie the Elephant, I now UNDERSTAND what the simple words are doing. They actually make sense. They have a purpose.

I also did the first portion of the Grammar program that William and Megan are writing. It’s amazing. Now when I clear a word I actually look at the part of speech and it makes sense, and frankly I can’t fully clear a word without looking at that. Before I tried to not-is that info in the dictionary as I didn’t understand it.

This program is literally life changing and life saving. It is changing my study life around and I feel certain that I can now win on study. My situation wasn’t simply one of not persevering or having enough discipline, but one of missing/confused data.

I think this program is key and can debug lots of people. Frankly, I think everyone should do it, as I think it will speed up study speed for everyone and increase correct application.

I really can’t say enough positive about this program. I think it’s vital.

My name is Vipin, and I live at a slum in South Delhi.

When I started this program, I did not believe that I would be able to learn to speak English. But now I am realizing that I will be able to learn English very well. Before this, I was afraid to speak English. I wasn’t able to speak even basic simple words. I didn’t dare to speak English in front of anyone. I was embarrassed and I thought that people would just laugh at me, so I didn’t even try to speak English.

But after just a few days on the program, I realized that I can learn to speak English, that I will become fluent, and that I can learn to speak like a “gentleman.” Through the methods used on this program, I have found confidence in speaking. And even though I still make mistakes, this no longer bothers me. I know that to learn English, I need to practice and not worry about mistakes.

I have learned how to communicate with others, I am no longer afraid to speak English. I no longer hesitate. I have gained the confidence to speak. I could never even look at others before. Now I can face anyone! I’m no longer embarrassed about making mistakes, I know you can’t learn if you don’t practice.

The conditions in our slum are completely miserable. Despite this, parents send their children to government schools, in hopes of getting them an education. For some reason, however, the children are not able to learn in those schools. Some parents try to get their children a tuition, but the fees charged are way too high for us to afford. At other times, the families are so desperate, that the children need to work instead of go to school.

Now I have started to teach in my slum with the help of Charity United. The changes in the children in my slum have been amazing. The program is so simple, yet powerful. Hope has been restored to the children. You can see it in their eyes. You can see their dreams that had faded have come back to life and they again believe that a future is possible.

The parents are seeing this too. Because of the program, they too have started believing in education. As the word is getting round, the parents are now sending their children to our class. Every day we have 5 to 10 new students.

Our students are doing fantastic. They are learning new words every day, and with the use of flashcards, we are laying in the foundation of their education. We make sure that the students understand what each new word means, and we are building their English vocabulary.

If you don’t believe what I am saying, please feel free to come to our slum. You can personally check the students and you will see that they are really learning! You will see them actually using what they have learned. The children are starting to speak English among themselves. They take pride in using what they have learned.

The only thing that is holding us back now is materials. We are teaching in a field, or under the bridge, if it rains. We need a safe place to teach. We also need access to safe water for the students to drink, and we need the same materials for every student.

With these simple basics in place, I am confident we can have a better future. Our slum, in time, will cease to be a slum, but a place worth living. I know we can do this.

During my learning experience early on in the program and midway through the program, I achieved rapid duplication in my reading and data processing.

My turnaround time increased by 50%, and my ability to get work done was smoother and less stressful. I was able to spend more time with my staff to achieve higher goals.

In the last two months of 2023, my production was so high that my accounting firm achieved its highest-ever annual production and income in its 33-year history.

I know this was based on my ability to duplicate and process data faster and more accurately and better communicate with my staff.

Thank you for the word drilling. Since starting, I’ve seen my production levels increase.

Eight years ago, it could take me anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours to clear up the meaning of a word. Now, it happened as fast as five minutes or less.

More than that, you’ve helped me handle a source of trauma that has been going on since I was a child. Without being entirely aware of it, I was constantly getting upset by being abandoned by others. It started before the age of ten. My father would leave for three months at a time and I cried myself to sleep so many times. I couldn’t even tell you how many times it happened.

When he passed away in 2010, it was so overwhelming that I would break down emotionally when alone and it’s been a big ruin in my life.
Now that I’m in present time, I’ve realized I can handle it, that I’m okay with being rejected, being left alone; because I’ve noticed that I can still progress and improve regardless of having someone there for me or not.

Thank you for the stability.

There have been many success so far, but I had a really cool one tonight!

I was thinking about how my life and activities are aligning rather effortlessly these days with some new endeavors I am working on!

I realized that when one is setting goals or making plans, knowing the simple words means that one’s thoughts and DECISIONS become more precise!

I am finding that my goals are being accomplished very quickly!

Also I know that understanding words and language helps one to organize one’s thoughts and actions, so things “happen” more quickly in my own world and in the world around me.

I have definitely experienced an improvement in my literacy, and not just in my ability to understand fully what I read. I have also improved my ability to express myself without effort and to feel that I am understood.

Additionally, when I hear the English language, my ability to recognize when I do or don’t understand what I hear is much sharper.

I am much happier with my new ability and feel I can finally honestly help students.

My name is Poonam. I am a bachelor of Arts, second year, at Delhi University. The area I live in has many slums; there is a lack of facilities, and there are no schools or educational institutions nearby. That is why many children are unable to take classes or get educated.

In our slum, the children want to study, and they have lots of drive, but they don’t study. This is because there are no schools nearby, and no opportunities to study. They do not have any opportunity. But, over the last month, conditions in our area have improved.

Charity United has started to make education available to the slum children. They did so by starting small classes in the open field. The main focus is to make equality a reality: that everyone has a right to education. Together Unique Coaching Center and Charity United have begun to make education available to the slum children. They are providing essential materials such as books, pens, pencils, blackboard, markers, etc.

After education was made available directly in the slums, the children have changed. They love the classes and are interested in learning. There is a new look on their faces. You can see the children walk around and shine.

The students are very excited about the daily classes. They always arrive before the teacher! Because of the methods used to teach, the students are eager to learn. They lose their sense of time! They will stay as long as we give a class. We could teach them all day without losing their interest.

Now the students are very interested, and come to class every day.

I am getting the training from Charity United. I have learned how to give a class, how to keep the students interested, how to deal with the children in a caring manner, and most of all how to get the students through their study difficulties.

The method is completely different from what I am used to, but it is amazingly powerful. The children change in front of your eyes.

Charity United and Unique Coaching have played a vital role in making our dreams possible.

It has become clear to me that their aim is to establish equality for all in the world, not just India. But they are doing this through action, not through words.

Thank you, Charity United and Unique Coaching Center.

Before we established the classes, the children did not go to school, and the parents were not sure whether the children should go to school or not. They did not understand how important it was to go to school, or why. How can parents know this, when they themselves have never had the opportunity to go to school or get an education?

Thanks to Charity United and Unique Coaching Center, this has changed.

The children are studying well, and are having fun doing so. We now have hope that we can do something with our lives. We know we can grow up to be good people and be something that families can be proud of!

What have the children learned so far?

They have learned so many basic things! We are understanding things better, we are speaking better, and we have gained confidence in studying. I have learned how to educate the other children in the village, I have learned the meanings of many words, and I can now understand what I read. I have more confidence in life, and get along with the village elders better.

The mentality and outlook of the children has completely changed! They have become interested in learning to read and write, and they have hope for the future. The change has been so great, that even the parents have hope for the first time. They have changed their minds about the importance of education. The parents are now supporting education as they have seen the changes in the children since we started this program.

What do the children think now? After starting the classes, the parents have realized that the children are really learning. Both the parents and the children have hope that they can learn to read well.

My own personal experience is as follows:

I have completed my 12th class in government school. I tried to get personal tuition, but it was too expensive, so I had to stop. However, thanks to Charity United and Unique Coaching Center, I was able to continue receiving an education. Thanks to their program, I am beginning to learn English. I am learning how to teach, I am learning how to speak to others, and I have a future.

We still have many challenges. The rains, for example, wash out our “schoolground” in the village. But with the things I am learning, at least we have a chance to change the future.

Thank you Charity United and Unique Coaching Center.

Thank you, Megan Tucker, the author of this Ollie booklet! I learned a lot from this program, which helped me to improve my English.

I apply it and will apply it confidently everywhere.

I’m very attracted to learning English with booklets like these, which have cartoons and different pictures. It’s so fun for me, and this gives me the motivation to learn the English language.

I will apply this knowledge in the classroom, at home, and in my daily life. Thank you!

I am very impressed with the simple words course. I feel my certainty returning/increasing with each word.

My study is faster and my duplication, and most importantly, my assimilation, is faster and stronger.

Thank you for making this available, and I am excited to see the impact it has on society.

This was an amazing and transformative program! Getting a firm easy understanding of simple common words has given much greater certainty in life, in study, and in communication.

This is one of the most important programs to effective positive change on this planet. I have gained a much more exact understanding of anything I read, to the point it has opened up my willingness to confront and handle every area of my life.

My ability to read and immediately do has dramatically improved. Thank you Megan and William Tucker.

I have never considered myself a slow or bugged student. I also have taught for over 15 years (Spanish, English, French, Italian, and Portuguese).

I knew there was missing understanding with regards to simple words, but I could never bring myself to confront these, because “traditional” dictionaries don’t make it easy.

This program has helped me fill in gaps in my understanding and duplication. It has made me an even faster student now that I know with full certainty what I have misunderstood, without over-thinking or looking all over the text to find it (sometimes even going all the way back to the beginning of the text or earlier tests!)

What a waste of time that was.

Thank you, Megan and William!

I have a 4 year old [student] who has never set foot in a school. He is now starting to READ these little sentences of the Ollie books. He really likes the pictures and he can overcome the barriers easily. (which surprises me a lot). With this [student], I do mainly work from only the Ollie books.

… He is still concentrated on the lesson for the full 30 minutes. Very rare for that age.

I just went through this book fully for the first time and can’t wait to read it with my granddaughter.

She’s a beginning reader, but I’ve seen this technique work beautifully with teen-aged students becoming more proficient in English. These are the words we all think we know, and seldom really do.

This book is beautiful, and the artwork is perfect for the younger beginners. An elementary school teacher I showed it to is equally enthusiastic about the book.

These materials have required much precision, and I have found each part to be extremely accurate and well communicated.

The simple words come with drills that fully get the word to conceptual understanding. I have done bits and pieces of this program on my own and was greatly helped with these definitions and clarity of which they are laid out.

Before this, I was tripping over certain uses of simple words, but I now have a much-increased level of awareness and comprehension of this.

This was englighting. It was easy to do, but more difficult than you might think, because you have to sort out the different definitions of the simple English words that you use all the time. And now I know four of these words really well.

Thank you to Megan Tucker, the author of the Ollie the Elephant booklets.

This program helped me to open my mind by learning different words. Also, it helped me to communicate very easily and helped me to improve my English.

I will apply this knowledge in the home and in my daily life, especially in the classroom.

Also, I liked to learn with this Ollie booklet because it was fun! I enjoyed learning with these Ollie booklets.

This is helping me a lot to really understand English!
Thank you for all that you are doing for us. I love it!!!