Press Release: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Launches Curious World, an Interactive Content Service

NEW YORK—October 21, 2015—Global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), a leading provider of pre-K-12 education content, services, and technology solutions, announced today the launch of Curious World™, an interactive content service that offers an expanding collection of games, videos, and eBooks mapped to key early learning areas. Available initially as an app for iPad® and iPhone®, Curious World is a subscription-based experience, featuring a carefully selected collection of playful learning content for kids aged three to seven, as well as a parent dashboard and tips for offline learning activities.

A child’s Curious World journey begins when parents complete a simple profile on their behalf; Curious World then delivers custom recommendations for kids to play, read and watch. Chosen and curated by HMH’s early learning experts, a balanced diet of content is served up across eight key learning areas: science, math, language and literacy, health and wellness, creative expression, social and emotional development, executive function and family and community.

Curious World videos, games and eBooks feature well-loved HMH® content and characters, from classics like Curious George®, Gossie and The Polar Express to original exclusive games like Math Arcade, Skyscraper Builder and Coral Reef Explorer, alongside acquired content from a range of partners, including National Geographic Kids, StoryBots, and PBS Digital. Within Curious World, a child might read along with Curious George and learn to draw with Young Rembrandts, dance to Caspar Babypants’ music videos or make bubbles with Full Time Kid Mya of PBS Parents fame.

“Curious World encourages children to learn through play, with content and activities that foster curiosity and imagination both online and offline,” said CJ Kettler, Chief of Consumer Brands and Strategy at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “Early learning research also shows that parental engagement is key, which is why we built a parent portal featuring practical ways to balance digital screen-time with activities that families can enjoy together, in a safe environment that parents can trust.”

The Curious World parent dashboard, available within the app and at curiousworld.com, is designed to allow parents to share in their child’s learning journey by providing them with feedback on progress, interests and natural talents. CuriousWorld.com also features recommendations on extending the learning journey offline, with enriching real-world activities that encourage family fun and engagement.

“Cross-disciplinary research demonstrates that learning through play is vital for healthy development in young children,” added Susan Magsamen, SVP of Early Learning at HMH and Senior Advisor to the Science of Learning Institute at Johns Hopkins University. “Play allows children to explore, to imagine and be curious, building a strong foundation of critical skills for school-readiness and lifelong learning.”

Curious World contains over 500 unique titles, with new content added to the service on a weekly basis, ensuring a fresh and dynamic experience every time kids log in. In the coming weeks and months, hundreds of new pieces of content will be added to the platform, including original HMH videos and games, additional partner content and eBooks.

The Curious World iOS app can be downloaded for free from the App Store℠ with a limited sample of content and basic features. Access to the full customized content experience is available on a subscription basis at $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.  The companion site for parents where they can learn more about their child’s personal learning journey can be found at www.curiousworld.com.