Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Introduces Curious World, a New Digital Learning Destination for Preschoolers and Their Families

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Global education leader Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced the launch of Curious World, the newest addition to its dedicated suite of programs for early learners, teachers and families, which includes core curriculum, comprehensive assessment tools, and online learning for school and the home. Created by HMH’s early learning experts, Curious World is designed to help families prepare young children for school and the world with fun activities that spark curiosity and help kids meet key developmental milestones.

“The preschool years are the most formative when it comes to cognitive development. Scientific research consistently points to early learning as a key predictor of future academic achievement and lifelong success”
Rooted in the latest research on the science of learning, Curious World provides preschool learning games for parents and children to do together, built on eight key learning areas that map to HMH’s early learning curriculum, including math, literacy and languages and creative expression. CuriousWorld.com is a dedicated website for families, featuring online and offline activity ideas, parent resources, as well as curated book collections that extend early learning at home. The website offers free access to hundreds of activity flashcards designed by our early learning experts, which go well beyond an introduction to the ABCs, colors, shapes and numbers. The site is specifically designed to help parents incorporate school-readiness into everyday life through easy, hands-on experiences.

“The preschool years are the most formative when it comes to cognitive development. Scientific research consistently points to early learning as a key predictor of future academic achievement and lifelong success,” said Susan Magsamen, Senior Vice President, Early Learning, HMH. “Curious World, like all of HMH’s early learning programs, merges science with real-world practice, giving families and caregivers tools to create language-rich, playful learning experiences that build the essential foundation needed to give young children the best start.”

Curious World also includes a new educational app for preschoolers on iPad® and iPhone®, a place for kids to imagine and explore through mobile adventures and activities. Two new characters, Izzy and Mac, as well as iconic HMH literary characters like Curious George and Gossie, guide kids through entertaining activity packs with games, puzzles, stories and more.

Curious World joins HMH’s robust collection of programs that meet early learning needs across the spectrum, including core preschool curriculum, assessment and reporting, as well as at-home learning. Designed to provide teachers and families with intuitive, adaptive and fun resources that meet learning needs both inside and outside the classroom, HMH’s offerings set young children up for successful school careers. Including:

Curiosityville, HMH’s adaptive early learning community, is now available for classroom use as a complement to core curriculum. New features include an Educator Toolbox, which helps teachers monitor student progress across multiple learning areas based on national standards. The Family Hub allows families to play an active role in their child’s classroom experience by offering resources and updates on what’s happening in town.
Splash into PreK is a comprehensive, integrated core curriculum for preschool classrooms, available in English and Spanish. This program, for ages 3-5, encompasses all areas of curriculum and provides strategies that help promote positive behaviors and actions.
REAL (Riverside Assessments of Early Learning by Bruce A. Bracken, Ph.D.) is an innovative web-based suite of early childhood assessment tools designed to measure school readiness, and includes customized content and tools tailored for Head Start, Early Childhood Special Education (IDEA Parts B & C) and Kindergarten Readiness.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s collection of early learning resources will be showcased at the National Association for the Education of Young Children annual conference in Dallas, Nov. 5 -8. HMH’s booth, #546, will host demonstrations of Curious World, Curiosityville and REAL as well as feature presentations from HMH’s SVP of Early Learning, Susan Magsamen.