Objective To analyze the effects of family socioeconomic status（SES）on preschool children’s learning abilities, and explore the mediating role of home reading environment. Methods A total of 1 625 preschool children were enrolled by using stratified random sampling method. By using home reading environment questionnaire for children and preschool learning skills scale, data of preschool children’s general information, family SES, home reading environment, and learning abilities were collected. Then, the data were sorted out and analyzed, and the mediator model was constructed and tested. Results The family SES was significantly negatively associated with preschool children’s scores of learning abilities（r=-0.199 , P<0.001）. The home reading environment played a partial mediating role in the relationship between family SES and learning abilities of preschool children（P<0.001）, and mediating effect accounted for 16.03 % of the total effect value. Conclusion The home reading environment plays an important role in the relationship between family SES and preschool children’s learning abilities, and promotes the development of children’s learning abilities.