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The Reading Anxiety Scale for children: Development and psychometric properties
Amie E Grills1, Sharon R Vaughn2, Greg Roberts2
1Department of Counseling Psychology and Applied Human Development, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Boston University.
School Psychology (Washington, D.C.)
|January 22, 2026
Summary
A new Reading Anxiety Scale (RAS) effectively screens for reading anxiety in elementary students. This brief, self-report tool aids in identifying students needing support in reading interventions.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Anxiety is linked to reading achievement in elementary students, including those in reading interventions.
- Existing anxiety measures lack specificity for reading anxiety.
- A brief, self-report screening tool for reading anxiety is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Reading Anxiety Scale (RAS), a brief self-report measure.
- To assess the psychometric properties of the RAS for elementary students.
- To provide a tool for identifying reading-specific anxiety in school settings.
Main Methods:
- Development and validation of the six-item Reading Anxiety Scale (RAS).
- Administration to third and fourth graders (N=306 at T1, N=219 at T2) within a randomized control trial.
- Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability, and validity assessments.
Main Results:
- The six-item RAS demonstrated good fit in factor analyses.
- The scale showed accuracy in detecting higher levels of reading anxiety.
- Adequate internal consistency, convergent, and discriminant validity were found.
Conclusions:
- Preliminary support exists for the RAS as a valid screener for reading anxiety symptoms.
- The RAS can be a useful tool in school-based research and intervention for reading difficulties.
- Further utility in identifying students with reading-related anxiety is suggested.
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