Words often labeled as “irregular” (e.g., said, does, come) can be challenging for students when spellings do not align with familiar phonics patterns. Too often, these words are taught through memorization, limiting retention and transfer. Research increasingly supports approaches that integrate decoding, linguistic knowledge, and flexible problem-solving to promote efficient word recognition. Participants will explore four evidence-based instructional practices: set for variability (mispronunciation correction), morphology, analysis of regular and irregular word parts, and flexible strategy use. They will examine how these approaches support students in using their knowledge of sounds, spelling, and meaning to read unfamiliar words and build lasting word knowledge.