Test-study spelling instruction (diagnostic-prescriptive) involves a pretest on words, practice with mispelled words, and a posttest. Study-test spelling (nondiagnostic-prescriptive) involves the study of all words, known or not known, followed by a test. A review of the literature reveals overwhelming support for the test-study method, but it is almost impossible to find a test-study basal program in use today. A study was conducted among 25 second-grade classrooms, in which the teachers, using a study-test text, agreed to pretest their students on Monday rather than on Wednesday (as recommended in the text) and again on Friday. All other aspects of the weekly schedule were followed. Analysis of the pretests and posttests showed that students learned only 2.9 words per week and almost half of the students scored 80% or higher on the pretest. One-half of the students had little need for instruction and learned fewer than three words during 75 minutes of instruction per week. The study indicates that study-test spelling instruction prevents teachers from knowing whether instruction is needed and from determining the number of words that are learned each week. Study-test instruction also forces students to spend time studying words already known. (HOD)