Irregular words (sight words) have long been treated as a memorization task. Flash cards, word walls, and repetition drills are often used, but research on how the brain stores words challenges this approach. Here's a more effective way to think about irregular word instruction.
First, a reframe: most so-called irregular words are actually only partially irregular. Consider the word 'said.' The /s/ and /d/ are perfectly regular; only the vowel is unexpected. When we tell students to "just memorize it," we throw away the decodable information and miss a teaching opportunity.
Research by Dr. Linnea Ehri shows that the brain stores words by mapping their sounds to their spellings, a process called orthographic mapping. For this to work with irregular words, students need to analyze the word, identify what is regular, and anchor the irregular element specifically. This is very different from treating the whole word as an unpredictable blob of letters.
When introducing an irregular word, say it clearly. Then have students map the regular sounds to letters, and identify specifically which part doesn't follow the expected pattern. Verbalize it: 'The word is said. The /s/ is regular, the /d/ is regular, but the vowel says /e/ instead of /a/.' Repeat this process across multiple exposures.
This approach takes more effort at the beginning, but it results in far stronger retention because the word is integrated into what students already know about language.
Halifax Learning's teacher training includes practical modules on irregular word instruction rooted in the science of orthographic mapping. Get in touch to learn more.