Zen Reader: Reading & Homework

Help with Chinese homework — even if you can't read a word of it.

The homework comes home in characters you can't read. The spelling list means nothing to you. When your child reads aloud, you have no idea whether they got it right. Zen Reader listens, marks and explains — and reports back to you in plain English.

You stay the parent, choosing the books, the word lists and the spelling lists. Zen Reader does the Chinese.

"I CAN'T TELL IF THEY READ IT CORRECTLY."
Your child reads a real Chinese book aloud. Zen Reader follows along and marks every character — correct, misread or skipped — checks their Mandarin tones, and gives a line-by-line report. Tap any line to replay what your child actually said, or hear how it should sound.

"I CAN'T TEST THEM ON THIS WEEK'S 听写 LIST."
Scan the school's spelling sheet and it becomes a term of weekly lists. Your child practises three ways — writing it out, saying and repeating, or a proper dictation test. Photograph the finished sheet and Zen Reader marks each word, flagging anything it isn't sure about for you to check.

"I CAN'T EXPLAIN A WORKSHEET I CAN'T READ."
Your child photographs a Chinese worksheet and gets a tutor that guides instead of answering. You choose how much it may reveal: hints only, hints then the answer, or explain the concept.

"I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY IMPROVING."
Every score, tone note, trend and reading level — in English, on your phone, for each child.

CHARACTERS AND SIGHT WORDS
• Turn a character or sight-word list into flash cards with pinyin, English and audio.
• Flash cards that listen: your child says each word out loud and is marked on the spot, with the recording kept to play back.
• A card game and a test for the same list, split by lesson.
• A family leaderboard per lesson, for the children who like a race.

YOUR BOOKS, NOT A FIXED COURSE
• Add any book by importing a PDF or scanning the paper pages with your camera.
• Zen Reader reads the text off each page, then adds pinyin and an English translation.
• Every book is graded to an HSK level automatically, so you can finally answer "is this the right book?"
• New families start with a set of graded example readers, so there's something to read on day one.
• It reads along in clear Mandarin, highlighting each character karaoke-style.

MADE TO BE PICKED UP
• Nine colour themes — Rice Paper, Still Water, Evening Sepia, Night Ink, Bubblegum, Mint, Deep Sea, Galaxy and Plain Grey — so your child reads in the one they like, or lets it follow your device.
• Big, quiet type and no advertising anywhere in the app.

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
• Six members included, with roles: family manager, parent and reader — and more seats if you need them.
• Each child signs in as themselves, so every score, badge and trend is theirs alone.
• Reading reminders at a time you choose.
• Practice mode saves nothing — your child can stumble, repeat and try again with no record kept.
• Your library syncs across Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Mac.

PRIVACY
• Your family's books, recordings and results stay private to your family.
• Usage analytics are strictly opt-in and off by default.

Zen Reader is a subscription service. The app is free to install; a Zen Reader account and an active subscription are required to use it. A free trial is available.

Questions? Email hello@zenreader.co