Jessica Toste
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jessicatoste.bsky.social
Jessica Toste
@jessicatoste.bsky.social
2.1K followers 240 following 160 posts
Associate Professor #SPED at UT Austin. Researcher in Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk and Texas Center for Equity Promotion. Director #TosteTeam. McGill University alum. Riot grrrl in an academic world. (she/her) www.jessicatoste.com
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jessicatoste.bsky.social
Join us for our #WordConnections webinar series. We'll explore implementation of this research-based, targeted intervention to support students' reading of complex words! #TosteTeam #BigWords #ScienceOfReading

📅 Nov 13 + Dec 4 | 💻 Live Online
🔗 Register: tosteteam.simpletix.com
October 12, 2025 at 3:45 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
We did an adorable #TosteTeam photoshoot for our fall 2025 back to campus series. These folks are the best part of my job! 🤘🏼🧡
September 19, 2025 at 5:13 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
We’re hiring! Come work with us in the Department of Special Education at UT Austin. Scholar in special education or related fields, without restrictions on rank or specific research program. Apply here:
faculty.utexas.edu/career/168004 #WhatStartsHere
September 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Challenge: post your last photo taken in DC to show what a hell-hole it is
August 12, 2025 at 2:12 AM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
We want your thoughts on themes and topics that are of interest to the readership of The Reading League Journal and friends of @thereadingleague.org. Share your ideas below! 👇🏼
August 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
🚨 NEW PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨

Catch up on new #TosteTeam pubs! Jason Chow (@jchow.bsky.social) and I wrote this article for a special issue of Educational Psychologist. We highlight special education as a field that has prioritized the generation of scientific evidence to guide decision-making. 1/3
July 25, 2025 at 5:29 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
🚨 NEW PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨

I’m behind in sharing new #TosteTeam pubs! New article in Learning Disability Quarterly. We report findings from brief experiment of the unique contribution of spelling practice, specifically Cover-Copy-Compare, on multisyllabic word reading for students with dyslexia. 1/3
Screenshot of article. Title: Investigating the Contribution of Spelling Practice to the Multisyllabic Word Reading Skills of Upper Elementary Students With Dyslexia Authors: Jessica R. Toste, PhD, Nathan H. Clemens, PhD, Marissa J. Filderman, PhD, Brennan W. Chandler, PhD, Saashya Rodrigo, PhD, and Clinton Moore, PhD Abstract: While spelling instruction may enhance reading interventions, there is little experimental evidence to date that examines the benefit of integrating spelling activities above and beyond explicit word reading instruction and practice alone. The study sought to investigate whether a common approach to spelling practice, cover-copy-compare (CCC), uniquely contributed to multisyllabic word reading skills of third to fifth grade students with dyslexia (n = 32). In this brief experiment, students completed two controlled individual sessions (30-min each). Each session included two instructional components and one practice component. The practice component differed by study condition, with students randomized to either reading practice (Decoding condition) or spelling practice using a modified CCC activity (Decoding+Spelling condition). No between-group differences were observed on researcher-developed or standardized word reading and pseudoword reading measures; however, a small but statistically significant effect favored students in the Decoding condition on a standardized measure of word reading efficiency. Findings suggest students in both conditions improved their reading of multisyllabic words, and there did not appear to be a differential benefit of spelling practice via CCC compared with reading practice. We discuss implications for future research on the contribution of spelling practice to word-level reading interventions for students with dyslexia.
April 26, 2025 at 7:28 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
I was recently informed that I am to be 1 of 5 faculty members inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Teachers at @utaustin.bsky.social. As a fun bonus, honorees are also given the title Distinguished Teaching Professor! 👩🏻‍🏫

More about the Academy: provost.utexas.edu/the-office/a...
April 14, 2025 at 7:45 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Reppin’ @cecmembership.bsky.social today in my extremely cozy new sweatshirt!
April 12, 2025 at 10:37 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Last week, my team launched our new #ResearchMatters series! Check out the #TosteTeam instagram for posts that highlight contributions from education sciences. How do data lead to critical decisions? How does research impact the world around us? Follow us here: www.instagram.com/tosteteam
News icon at top corner pointing to text that reads: Our new #ResearchMatters series will highlight how education sciences have contributed to the learning and lives of students with disabilitied. How does research matter? The word "does" is underlined and leads to next slide addressing this very question. "Research generates data and evidence to drive progress, solve problems, expand knowledge, and help us understand the world, leading to advancements that improve lives. Did you know...? The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), was passed in 1975 due to data showing that millions of children with disabilities were excluded from education or receiving inadequate services, prompting a need for legal protections These data were collected as part of a Congressional investigation in 1972 and revealed that 1.75 million children with disabilities were receiving no education; 200,000 were institutionalized; and an additional 2.5 million were receiving a substandard education"
April 9, 2025 at 5:04 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Join me and @brennanchandler.bsky.social for a webinar on May 15. We'll be talking about word reading instruction for students in intermediate grades and #WordConnections! Webinar hosted by @cecmembership.bsky.social and @cec-dr.bsky.social. Free for members! Register: tinyurl.com/CEC-WordReading
CEC and DR webinar. Logos for both Council for Exceptional Children and Divison for Research. "Instruction to support word-level reading skils for students with disabilities in the intermediate grades." Thursday, May 15 from 4:00-5:00pm ET. Free for CEC members. Webinar presenters. Jessica Toste, PhD, Associate Professor & Distinguished Teaching Professor. Department of Special Education. The University of Texas at Austin. Brennan Chandler, PhD. Assistant Professor. Department of Learning Sciences. Georgia State University. Register at http://tinyurl.com/CEC-WordReading
April 9, 2025 at 4:28 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
‼️Exciting news from Department of Special Education at @universityoftexas.bsky.social. We're thrilled to announce our 🆕 ONLINE master's program focusing on dyslexia & dyscalculia intervention! Specialized training from experts in the field. RSVP for an upcoming info sessions: tinyurl.com/UTddiinfo
April 7, 2025 at 6:08 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Ready for a week of learning, planning, and advocating at #CEC2025! @cecmembership.bsky.social
Name badge for CEC 2025 Baltimore. Tags for Division for Learning Disabilities, Division for Research, and President. Pins on the lanyard for Toste Team and LGBTQ+ progress pride flag.
March 12, 2025 at 6:53 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
We'll share these final thoughts from the article! 3/3
Screenshot of text from article that reads: "Final Thoughts. The title of this article asked what’s in a word? The answer is—a lot! By analyzing and categorizing word reading errors, educators can make targeted instructional decisions that address the underlying causes of word reading difficulties. Phonemic errors require strengthening students’ phonemic awareness and simple GPC skills, orthographic errors call for explicit instruction on spelling patterns and syllable boundaries, morphemic errors benefit from activities that build morphological awareness, and high-frequency word errors are best addressed through repeated mastery-based practice. With intentional and responsive instruction tailored to the specific types of errors students make, educators can support improved word reading accuracy and fluency, ultimately enhancing students’ reading comprehension and academic success."
February 26, 2025 at 2:18 AM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
🚨 NEW PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨

New #TosteTeam pub in Intervention in School & Clinic. Written w/ Sally Fluhler, @emilyafarris.bsky.social, & @brennanchandler.bsky.social. We offer guidance on conducting CBM ORF error analysis to inform instructional decisions. Open access: tinyurl.com/Toste2025isc 1/3
February 26, 2025 at 2:18 AM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Are you going to be at the @cecmembership.bsky.social Convention in Baltimore? Come to our annual Joint Division Reception on Thursday, March 13th at 7:00pm. There will be food, drinks (cash bar after free drink tickets run out), and access to the American Visionary Art Museum! 🍷🪩🎨
Graphic of skyline view of Baltimore with information printed. Text reads: Join us at the 2025 council for Exceptional Children Convention for our Joint Division Reception. Thursday, March 13, 2025 from 7:00-10:00pm EST. American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). Reception Hall 3rd floor. 800 Key Highway, Baltimore, MD 21230. Bonus: Guests are free to explore AVAM exhibits featuring outsider art that combines art, science, philosophy, humor, and social justice.
February 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Special education researchers 🔔 Join us this Thursday at 2:00pm EST for townhall organized by CEC and hosted by leadership from Division for Research, Teacher Education Division, and Division on Career Development & Transition. Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
February 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Spending the week in Washington, DC for the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education's winter summit. Being subtle with my travel attire yesterday. #HECSEWinterSummit2025
Close-up photo of woman holding out t-shirt to show printed text. Shirt reads "Girls just wanna have funding for scientific research" in pink lettering.
January 29, 2025 at 4:16 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Another fave! Every year, I order custom stickers from Etsy. I use @moleskine.bsky.social weekly planner, which has space to write *all* the things that need to get done on the right and then organize daily tasks on the left. I use these stickers as headers to add visual structure to my to do list!
January 24, 2025 at 3:32 AM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
In 2024, I shared some favorite office supplies. New thread for faves of 2025!

January has been wild, so last week felt like my official start to 2025! As always — new year means new agenda, new pens, new notebook for morning pages, and (excuse for) new water bottle! Pens by poppin and MUJI. 🖊 🗓 ✨
Photo of office supplies on a white desk. Calendar showing date: Thurs, Jan 16. Black Moleskine 2025 agenda, pink Beechmore Books notebook, two black MUJI pens, box of poppin pens, and white Owala water bottle.
January 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
Time to run a dissertation study! Congrats to Elizabeth on a successful proposal defense. She will be examining the effects of the SDLMI in reducing disruptive behaviors and increasing goal setting and self-determination for students with EBD. 🤓 ⭐️ 🤘🏼 #TosteTeam #ProudAdvisor #HookEm
Photo of two women sitting together behind a table, smiling, and holding glasses of wine. Elizabeth presenting her proposal. Photo of her standing in front of slide that reads “a self-determination program to reduce disruptive behaviors of students in upper elementary grades.”
January 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
A team member emailed me an audio file from tutoring to go listen to a specific timestamp. And honestly, this is the most perfect way to end 2024! 🥺♥️

Quote from a 5th grader during our small-group reading intervention last week. From a student who was, notably, very reluctant to begin intervention.
Text quoted "Reading is fun. Now that it's with this program, I think it's the best." 5th grade student. Word Connections logo at bottom. Text imposed over top of image of a book with pages folded into a heart shape.
December 21, 2024 at 7:32 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
We end with this important takeaway ⬇️ 3/3
Image with quote from article that reads: Some might assume that word-level reading skills are “lower level” skills that demand little cognitive effort or engagement from the reader. Indeed, this does become true when one is a proficient reader—as a student transitions from novice to expert in their word reading, they go from decoding to rapid recognition of familiar words. As readers experience this transition, more cognitive resources become available during reading and they can focus on extracting meaning from individual words, making connections, and drawing meaning from the text. While many secondary-aged students are skilled word readers, there are just as many who are not. Up until this transition to expert, word reading is an extremely demanding cognitive task—and it does our students a disservice when we undervalue how important skilled reading is and how challenging it can be.
November 20, 2024 at 6:10 PM
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We describe critical role of word reading efficiency, challenges associated with multisyllabic words, and importance of ongoing instructional support. We introduce four instructional routines that can be implemented to facilitate secondary students’ acquisition of word-level reading skills. 2/3
Screenshot of Table 1 from the article. Instructional routines: essential skills routine, syllabication routine, morphology routine, and oral reading fluency routine.
November 20, 2024 at 6:10 PM
jessicatoste.bsky.social
🚨 NEW PUBLICATION ALERT 🚨

New #TosteTeam pub led by @brennanchandler.bsky.social focused on word reading skills for secondary students with LD. Included in a special issue of Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy edited by Townsend, Lupo, & colleagues. Access it here: tinyurl.com/JAALTosteTeam 1/3
Abstract for article titled "Instruction to support word-level reading skills for adolescent learners with learning disabilities."
November 20, 2024 at 6:10 PM