"Working Smarter, Not Harder: Reaching the Tough to Teach" is the topic of an exclusive four-part series by Sylvia Rockwell for the "Kappa Delta Pi Record." Part I describes the characteristics of students at risk of school failure, provides an overview of research-based principles found to be effective with all students and essential for students at risk for academic failure, offers strategies for assisting learners in accessing prior knowledge, and suggests methods for clearly defining major concepts. While each of the principles is effective alone, the value and power of application is realized only when all components are developed in synergy with one another and in response to the needs of the targeted students. (Contains 2 figures and 4 enrichment resources.)