Reading Anxiety and Reading Comprehension Performance of Grade 11 Learners: Implications for a Holistic Reading Intervention

Reading anxiety has been recognized as an affective factor that may hinder the ability of learners to comprehend texts, particularly in second language learning contexts. This study examined the relationship between reading anxiety and reading comprehension performance of 218 Grade 11 learners of Aritao National High School, school year 2025-2026, using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design. Data were collected through a reading anxiety scale and a reading comprehension test. Mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s r were used for analysis. The findings revealed that the learners exhibited a high level of reading anxiety, particularly fear of unfamiliar language, and basic level comprehension, with difficulties in higher-order skills such as inference and evaluation. A significant negative relationship was found between reading anxiety and higher-order comprehension, indicating that increased anxiety may impede deeper text processing. Based on these findings, the H.A.R.I.C.A.N.E. Reading Intervention Program was proposed to reduce anxiety and improve comprehension.