This Drill and Practice Textbook is intended to help pupils of the Upper Primary and Lower Secondary Classes develop competence in four key areas of the Language Arts curriculum: Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling and Comprehension. The list of words used in varying sections of the book is not exhaustive. The content, with its heavy emphasis on practice tests and any other similar tests, is focused on:

1) addressing the concepts
2) developing reading and writing skills and
3) supporting students' ability to transfer knowledge across multiple contexts.

This book can be used both as a reference book and as a tool for learning and improving the conventions of the language. It includes most grammatical rules taught at the Primary School level and will assist as a transition book from Primary into Secondary School. For a Form One student, this book will assist in bridging the gap lost in learning by outlining the rules in a user-friendly manner. Remedial work, therefore, becomes evident as there are many practice exercises geared toward mastery of given concepts.

Section 1 covers Grammar and Punctuation and is divided into twenty-one chapters.

Section 2 focuses on The mastery Spelling and Vocabulary. Students are expected to acquire a robust vocabulary at this level. Foreign words used in English are included in this section as knowledge of such words can be integrated in the writing process. Additionally, Affixes, Homophones and Idioms etc. are addressed.

Section 3 is the Comprehension section which provides skills, strategies and key points students need in order to develop their critical thinking. The skills and strategies act as a guide for both teacher and parent seeking to help those students who struggle with interpreting the prose, poem or graphic representation. Besides the theoretical aspect, practice is given in prose, poetry and varying graphic representations.

Section 4 presents two Practice Tests using the Language Arts S.E.A. format. It also includes Reinforcement Activities in some Grammar and Vocabulary areas.

It is hoped that this text will offer teachers, parents and students alike, opportunities to learn and facilitate the learning process so no child is left to fall through the cracks!

Alicia J. Mc Lean