Nihao Story is about learning languages with your family through interactive storytelling. We believe that language learning should be fun and engaging for both parents and children. Nihao (你好) means hello in Mandarin Chinese.
About
The Problem
Children's books are amazing storytelling tools, but they get expensive quickly. A library of children's books can cost thousands of dollars and become neglected as the child grows older. We want to make language learning fun and affordable for everyone through interactive storytelling.
Our Mission
To make it easier for families to share stories in multiple languages and foster a love for reading. Stories are a great way to learn languages and we want to make it more accessible for families.
Founder's Story
The founder of Nihao Story is expecting to become a father in the next few months. With a baby on the way, he wants to make sure that he can pass on the love of reading to his child. He wants to make sure the Mandarin and Korean that his child's grandparents spoke will be accessible to his child.
"Infants pick up on language earlier than we realize. In fact, research shows that babies' brains prepare to speak months before they say their first words. In order to complete this important brain preparation, children need to hear language."
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services, Article: Read It Again! Benefits of Reading to Young Children
"We also discovered that children who read for pleasure had larger cortical surface areas in several brain regions that are significantly related to cognition and mental health (including the frontal areas). Importantly, this was the case regardless of socioeconomic status."
Source: Berkeley, Article: Why Reading Is Important for Children's Brain Development
"Reading to your child is the most effective way of building cognitive skills in children specially in the formative age of year 1 to year 5."
Source: Reddit, Article: Benefits of reading to children: