Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Children's Reading Abilities: The Mediating Role of Home Learning Environment and the Moderating Role of Grade Level

Family socioeconomic status (SES) has been shown to be associated with children’s academic development. However, how SES influences children’s reading ability across grades still warrants investigation. This study recruited 1st - through 6th -grade children ( N  = 1,534) and examined the role of Home Learning Environment in the relationship between SES and reading development. The results revealed that the number of books at home and the earliest reading age mediated the impact of SES on children’s reading, whereas family teaching activities did not have the expected mediating effect. Grade level moderated the influence of SES and reading age on reading; that is, as grade level increased, earlier reading age and higher family SES contributed more to children’s reading performance. These findings illustrate how SES affects children’s reading through Home Learning Environment across grades, which offers practical insights for guiding family activities in promoting reading development.