Western Australian author Hamish Kelly has spent nearly two decades struggling with reading. In his first book, he recalls the confusion of learning to read, describing how letters in words seemed unclear and how words often looked the same. He says reading became increasingly difficult, and math became even harder because it also required reading. By year 5, he felt ashamed and believed he was "stupid and dumb," despite reassurances from his parents and teachers. He also experienced anxiety and a loss of confidence, a condition now known as reading anxiety. This is a psychological state where a person feels excessive worry or fear about reading, which can affect their performance and self-esteem. In the past eight years, research on reading anxiety has increased fivefold as scientists gain a better understanding of this educational challenge. Researchers are trying to determine whether reading difficulties cause reading anxiety, or if reading anxiety leads to reading difficulties. A recent study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology offers some insight. The study, which followed 499 Bulgarian children from grades 1 to 8, found that reading ability in grade 1 and the improvement in reading skills between grades 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 predicted reading anxiety in grade 8. This suggests that reading struggles at any point during primary school could contribute to reading anxiety later on. This finding aligns with a similar study from Finland, which found that students with poorer reading skills in grade 1 were more likely to experience higher reading anxiety in grade 2. These findings suggest a potential "vicious cycle" where reading difficulties lead to anxiety, which in turn leads to avoidance of reading, further worsening reading skills. For students like Hamish Kelly, this cycle can begin when they feel they are falling behind their peers. This can lead to a belief that they are not good at reading, which increases anxiety about reading, especially in front of others. To cope, they may avoid reading altogether, which reduces their reading practice and further damages their confidence and engagement with reading. While the Bulgarian study highlights the connection between reading ability and anxiety, it does not provide data on how many children with reading difficulties actually experience anxiety. However, two Australian studies suggest that about half of children with reading challenges also have reading anxiety. Since approximately one-third of Australian students do not meet basic literacy standards, as measured by NAPLAN tests, this implies that a significant number may also face reading anxiety. The study also notes that the impact of support from teachers, families, and friends on reading anxiety was not measured, but other research suggests that support can help break the cycle. Encouraging a neurodiversity approach, which values differences in learning abilities, and promoting a "growth mindset" that focuses on progress rather than perfection, can help build confidence and reduce anxiety. By focusing on a child's strengths and celebrating their progress, families and teachers can help students enjoy and engage more with reading, leading to improved skills and greater confidence.