BK - get your son's vision checked, by a straight opthamologist, but also by a behavioral optometrist. Reading troubles in bright kids should be checked out. My son loved anything where the goals were real overt - such as gaining experience levels in a video game.
I absolutely agree, especially the behavioral optometrist. I think is was actually Grinity that first suggested it and I didn't even know what a behavioral optometrist was. It took me a year to follow up with this for Little C after observing her. Then EandC mom was talking about it and it clicked that this could be the issue.
Just getting the glasses improved her vision, which improved her comfort reading and that also helped her confidence. Little C is like this too, she is struggling with perfectionist issues. I gently worked with her letting her know it's okay to make mistakes, etc.
Interestingly, her perfection issues cleared up quite a bit this summer....hmmmmmmmmmm.
Now she has a teacher and she says: "She really likes me mommy"! Consequently the perfectionism issues have subsided even more.
I think it's different for each child, but sometimes I think it's just so much more pronounced in children who are so self and socially aware.
Neato
