Is it possible that he's bored (the math is still too easy) and he can't focus? My son exhibited the same doodling behaviour when required to do math that bored him. The solution was a) make it more difficult, or b) me stand over him and police his home work.
Another thought is that maybe he's sick of it?
Or... it could be similar to what happened to me with Algebra... I LOVED Algebra and got (literally) perfect marks, initially. Because I'd never been enriched as a kid I had no study skills, however, and when the level increased to the point where my marks were no longer perfect, a) I didn't have strategies to study and "work hard" ...and b) my inner (INTENSE) perfectionist said "(bleep) this. I don't care anymore." My grades got worse and worse until finally I squeaked by in grade 12 with a finally letter grade of "p" (pass - which I think is about 55%).
I still remember it, actually... the point where I shut off. The 55% at the end was comprised of the stuff that I had learned in the "perfect" zone, and anything beyond that I just shut off and never bothered learning. It was like a " whatever... I'm done with this now" switch in my brain.
Ouch.
Last edited by CCN; 12/18/12 08:33 AM.
