This paper offers seven practical suggestions to teachers who are teaching phonics to hard-to-teach children (the learning disabled, the educable mentally retarded, slow learners, and the culturally disadvantaged) and who are not experiencing the success they desire. The suggestions are made under the following topics: (1) cumulative learning and rapid rates (using flash cards to practice letter-sound associations); (2) attention to the difference between symbol/sound, sound/symbol, and sound/sound; (3) direct instruction in the skills area; (4) sufficient, appropriate practice activities; (5) teaching the blending of sounds and letters; (6) studying the sequence of intended material; and (7) allowing for enough practice reading. Insights from these seven suggestions are offered to support the contention that phonics as taught today often fails to aid the hard-to-teach child in beginning reading. The paper also offers strategies to insure that the hard-to-teach child learns to read. (RL)