This study examined the relationship between the frequency of mother–child and father–child literacy teaching activities and the reading skills of Chinese preschool children. A total of 105 Hong Kong Chinese preschoolers and their fathers and mothers were involved. Fathers and mothers independently reported the frequency of their own literacy teaching activities (i.e., reading Chinese characters, recognizing Chinese characters based on their pronunciations and writing Chinese characters). Children were tested individually on their Chinese word reading skills, receptive vocabulary and verbal memory. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the relations between mother–child and father–child literacy teaching activities and children's reading skills. The results showed that, although mothers engaged in home literacy teaching activities more frequently than did fathers, the participation of fathers—and not mothers—in Chinese literacy teaching activities significantly predicted their children's Chinese reading skills after controlling for vocabulary, verbal memory and demographic variables (i.e., parental education, the child's age and gender). The results highlight the importance of paternal involvement in home education for Chinese preschoolers' literacy learning.HighlightsThis study examines the relation between mother–child and father–child literacy teaching activities and preschoolers' reading skills.Based on parental questionnaires and children's individual tests, the participation of fathers in Chinese literacy teaching activities significantly predicts their children's reading skills.The results highlight the importance of paternal involvement in home education for Chinese preschoolers' literacy learning.

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Utilizing an actor-partner interdependence model, this study examined whether dependency was transmitted from parents to their preschool-aged offspring and, if so, whether dependency-oriented parenting (DOP) mediated such transmission. The mothers and fathers of 488 preschool-aged Chinese children (M age = 42.36 months, SD = 3.62 months) participated first at 1 month before entry into preschool (Time 1) and then 4 months later (Time 2). Positive relations were found between one parent's dependency and the child's physical dependency on that parent (i.e., actor effect), and one parent's dependency was negatively associated with the child's emotional dependency on the other parent (i.e., partner effect). Additionally, one parent's DOP positively predicted the child's emotional and physical dependency on that parent (i.e., actor effect). Moreover, one parent's DOP partially mediated the relation between the parent's dependency and the child's physical dependency on the parent (i.e., actor effect). Finally, both actor and partner effects were similar for mothers and fathers and for boys and girls. The findings highlight the importance of including both parents and examining actor and partner effects for a comprehensive understanding of the intergenerational transmission of dependency.