This study investigates the effects of children's reading ability, children's sex, and mothers' educational level on mothers' helping behaviors during children's at-home oral reading practice. Using a social constructivist theoretical perspective, the research examines 76 mother-child pairs from a suburban, middle-class community. Children were given tape recorders and third-grade science texts to read aloud to their mothers, and the conversations were audio-taped and professionally transcribed. The results indicate that mothers of at-risk readers used more error correction interventions, while mothers of accelerated readers engaged in more extensive verbal involvement. Mothers of daughters used richer language interactions compared to sons. High school-educated mothers used significantly more error corrections than college-educated mothers, despite equal numbers of accelerated and at-risk readers in each group. College-educated mothers asked more high-level questions. The study provides implications for practice, suggesting that educators should minimize excessive error corrections, encourage reading to children instead of having them read aloud, and send home instructional-level texts for at-risk readers. Additionally, mothers can be educated about the importance of general verbal ability and provided with strategies to enrich conversations with their sons.This study investigates the effects of children's reading ability, children's sex, and mothers' educational level on mothers' helping behaviors during children's at-home oral reading practice. Using a social constructivist theoretical perspective, the research examines 76 mother-child pairs from a suburban, middle-class community. Children were given tape recorders and third-grade science texts to read aloud to their mothers, and the conversations were audio-taped and professionally transcribed. The results indicate that mothers of at-risk readers used more error correction interventions, while mothers of accelerated readers engaged in more extensive verbal involvement. Mothers of daughters used richer language interactions compared to sons. High school-educated mothers used significantly more error corrections than college-educated mothers, despite equal numbers of accelerated and at-risk readers in each group. College-educated mothers asked more high-level questions. The study provides implications for practice, suggesting that educators should minimize excessive error corrections, encourage reading to children instead of having them read aloud, and send home instructional-level texts for at-risk readers. Additionally, mothers can be educated about the importance of general verbal ability and provided with strategies to enrich conversations with their sons.