Thanks a lot for the suggestions! Since most of this type of work is in class I may pass them on to the teacher.
re: forward progress - there is some in the printing as compared to last year, but progress feels slow to me. I don't know what's up with the sudden bubble-letter writing craze but it could be an attempt to mask his frustration with printing normally.
I think the writing is causing some frustration because the more 'advanced' math they offer him is mostly word problems - which he is avoiding.
He is also frustrated in any art they try to do (one day he told me he "failed at art") - so more fine-motor problems there too.
Outside of class, he enjoys gross-motor activities (bike riding, soccer). He still has trouble with cutlery.
OTH, yesterday he was home from school and spent quite a lot of time cutting and coloring small pieces of paper. So he doesn't totally avoid fine-motor things.
I just find my kids so confusing sometimes...