The purposes of this study were to: (1) investigate the nature and extent of specific teaching, and the grade placement of language skills in primary grades; and (2) investigate experimentally the validity, reliability, and practicality of several different methods for measuring achievement in capitalization and punctuation in Grade 2. Phase I dealt with rational or logical considerations, and consisted, for the most part, of an examination of current practices in the teaching of selected language skills in the primary grades. In Phase II, several alternative techniques for measuring capitalization and punctuation skills were systematically subjected to evaluation with respect to validity, reliability, and practicality. One result of the examination of five language arts and four reading textbooks series is the lack of agreement on skills coverage and placement. Most authorities would seem to support an unplanned program in which such skills teaching as is done would arise out of the needs inferred from children's more or less spontaneous writing. It appears that items in nationally standardized tests were selected primarily on the basis of author judgment and statistical characteristics of the items. From the investigation conducted in Phase II, it was concluded that new, more subjective types of evaluation are practicable for use in primary grades. (Author/CK)