Hello,
My husband and I recently moved to Cali and will soon be living in the Del Mar housing community. My husband's 11 year old son lives in Florida with his mom, and he is having problems in school. The main issue is that he is not completing homework, and basically, he just doesn't care. Yes, 'homework' starts at 'home', but that's kind of out of our hands being so far away right now. His mom just had a baby and well… I won't explain the rest of her reasons why she can't do homework with him.

Anyway, he will be with us this summer for at least a month-- if not longer, if we can convince his mom. It would be great to just play games and have fun all summer, but that is no longer an option: My husband is in Pensacola for training and drove out to see his son this weekend. He came across a book report that wasn't completed and due yesterday! He just didn't do it! Teachers are saying he has a small chance of passing 5th grade at the rate he is going. He is a SMART kid… when he wants to be. Example: statewide standardized test contest. Student with highest score wins a wii and lunch with the principal. He wins! He wanted the wii! The last time he took the same test he just filled in answers because he knew it wasn't for a grade.

My question is… what are the options for summer school tutoring? I've come across the YMCA program, but that's about it. It doesn't explain much about the curriculum, either. I want to make sure whatever program we find for him is effective in helping him get motivated.

A few other extras… I do not have any kids… so I am no expert in kids' education these days! My husband is super frustrated, so I'm trying to learn as much as I can to help out. And we are looking into getting full custody, but I'm sure it's going to be difficult with him being active duty. 

You can send him to Sylan Learning Center - There's one in Oceanside, Encinitas and Temecula.


If he's only going to be with you for a month, I don't think he'll get all that much out of the tutoring.
4-5 weeks goes QUICKLY and it really isn't much time to instill good learning habits. 

To be honest it sounds like he might be your stereotypical gifted child who is not being challenged. I will tell you from my own expereince that when it feels like the work is meaningless and beneath you, you just don't put forth the effort. Few truly gifted kids who aren't challenged get good grades IME. Rather than sticking him in some sort of classroom that he doesn't need, try focusing on trying to make learning exciting for him. We have a wealth of fun educational resources right here in the SoCal area. There are so many museums--many of which are even free to military. Don't just go to a museum though; explore it, discover it, have fun with it. Turn it into a very fun educational experience. Have him keep a notebook full of what he learns. Let him earn fun rewards by making a report or neat presentation about what he learned. If you want to help him I honestly think helping him in this way will be better. Then when he goes home hopefully your husband, his mom, and the school could work together to come up with a more challenging educational plan.

Good luck. 

I hate the CA school system! We live off base, so I cannot comment on the base schools but my daughter is the same as your husbands son and when I checked into summer school I was told that don't HAVE summer school! She was in 5th grade at the time. Sadly there were 36 kids in her class! Though her teacher tried, there was no way she could give one on one attention to the kids. Of course I work(ed) with her at home. She is in 6th grade now and part of me feels like there is so much she didn't learn... 

Like accountnickname said it sounds like he is not challenged enough. My son is the same way. He would actually do the work but not turn it in. The best thing you can do for him is make learning fun again. Most kids have a favorite subject as well as a subject they dont like. With my son he love math but hate language arts. We had him take math terms (such as the word addition) and had him make it an anagram using words that have the same meaning. He loved it, and now does this as we are driving down the road. Another thing to think about is dyslexia. There are a lot of kids that have a form of dyslexia and just don't try because "it's to hard." If you find that this might be a problem you can get a green transparency and place it on top of his work. Something about the green helps their brain process the information better. 

Thank you all for all the insight! I truly appreciate the advice! I, too, said that he wasn't being challenged enough, but my husband didn't really think that was the case. He thinks it's lack of guidance, support, and encouragement. Years ago, his mother (secretly) tried to solve the 'problem' on her own by putting him on adderall… my husband got a lawyer to get him off of it, but she struck again and secretly got him on it again. We found out bc the school nurse called my husband after not reaching his mom. Regardless, it obviously isn't working!
We try and do things like accountnickname said… we do ANYTHING educational… and he LOVES it! He loves museums, history… they just went to a space center near pensacola and he LOVED it and retains everything he learns to talk about it again and again and again, haha-- but its a good thing! :)

Mowsluver… I can't believe CA doesn't "have" summer school! School system sounds similar to Florida's! :(

Alisa… a couple things you said definitely stuck out to me… like doing the work and just not turn it in. Ours does the same thing! At least, that's what his mom SAYS… that he's doing all the work and not turning it in. My husband thinks she's lying, but who knows. It just hasn't made sense to me. Why would he go through the 'agonizing pain' of completing the work and not get credit?! So when you say your son has done the same, it kinda makes me wonder. And we hear "it's too hard" ALL THE TIME! But it's NOT to hard because he knows all the answers! He won't show any work on math problems… just the answer! Showing the work it 'too hard' and 'stupid' because 'he already got the answer.'

The more I think about it…and hear everyone's advice… it's starting to all come together. Thank you guys so much for your all your help. 

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