養う: supporting a family and nurturing the ability to think
Read 養う through its object: supporting a family's livelihood or nurturing the ability to think. Compare work that supports the family with reading as a means of developing that ability.
A family as the object of support
養う (やしなう) includes support and nurture. 「父は働きながら家族を養っている。」 means “My father works to support the family.” The object is the family, so the meaning concerns support for their livelihood.
The example links the father's work with supporting the family. It does not describe teaching the family to read or to think. No specific costs or method of support are given, so do not add amounts, payment frequency, or obligations.
An ability nurtured through reading
「読書を通じて物事を考える力を養う。」 means “Reading nurtures the ability to think about things.” The object being nurtured is an ability, and reading provides the means. The same verb appears in the family example, but the object and relationship differ.
Nurturing that ability is not a payment or a transfer of living expenses to the family. Nor does the example report completed improvement in every ability. Its stated connection is between reading and the ability to think about things.
Read the object together with the means
With a family as the object of 養う, identify who provides support and for whom. With an ability as its object, identify what is nurtured and through what means. The difference between a family and an ability helps distinguish the two uses.
Learning and nurturing can be related, but the focus of these examples is livelihood support versus developing an ability. They do not prescribe an amount of family support or guarantee a learning outcome from reading. Preserve the particular support or nurturing relationship that is stated.
What distinguishes 養う when it refers to supporting a family from its use for nurturing the ability to think through reading?
Show the answer and why
The object and means distinguish them. The family is the recipient of livelihood support; the ability to think is what reading nurtures. Do not turn family support into reading instruction or nurturing an ability into a monetary payment.