in their tendency.  They require as response an attitude or set of the mind.  They set the child thinking in this direction rather than that.  In a sense they are suggestive, but they suggest the line of search rather than the response.  A final type of question is akin to the one just discussed—­the question whose response is further questions.  Here again the response desired is an attitude, but in this case it is more than an attitude, it is also a definite response that shall come in the form of questions.  The questions of a good teacher should result in students asking questions both of people and of books.  These last three types of questions are perhaps the most difficult of all.  Because of their complexity and subtlety they often miss fire and fail of their purpose.  Properly handled they are among the most powerful tools a teacher has.  The type of question used must vary, not only with the particular group of children, and the type of lesson, but also with the subject.  Questions that would be the best type in mathematics might not be so good for an art lesson.  The kinds of questions used must be adapted to the particular situation.

Psychologically a question is valuable not only in accordance with the kind of response it gets, but also in proportion to the readiness of the response.  A question that is of such a character that the response is hazy, stumbling, hesitating—­a question that brings no clear-cut response because the child does not understand what is wanted, is a poor question.  This does not at all mean that the right response must always come immediately.  Some of the best questions are put with the intention of forcing the child to realize that he can’t answer—­that he doesn’t know.  If that type of response comes to that question, it is the best possible answer.  Nor need the whole answer come immediately.  For instance, in many of the judgment questions the thinking process aroused may take some time before the judgment is reached, and meanwhile several partial answers may be given.  But if the question asked started the process, without waste of time in trying to find out what it meant, the question is good.  With these explanations, then, the second qualification of a good question is that it secures the appropriate response readily.  In order to do this, these factors must be considered:  First, the principle of apperception must be recognized.  Every question must deal with material that is on a level with the stage of development of the one questioned.  Not only so, but the question must connect somewhere with the learner’s experience.  This means a recognition also of individual differences.  The question must also be couched in language that can be understood easily by the one questioned.  To have to try to understand the language of the question as well as the question, results in divided attention and delayed responses.  Second, the question should be clear and definite.  A question that has these characteristics will challenge