Sounds VERY familiar. I can identify. You've pretty much described me as a child, and the bad news is, I'm still pretty much this way as an adult. I should probably be working on something else right now as I type this.
If you focus on the process, then things are clearly not working out. But if you focus on the results, then there is no problem, because the work is ultimately getting done, and the grades are good. And that's where the disconnect is: you're focused on the process, and he's focused on the results. No matter what you tell him about how he's doing his homework, he can always dismiss those comments with the latest grade.
Meanwhile, boredom is torture for kids like this, so when it's a choice between working on a boring assignment or doing something fun, fun wins every time.
I can make some suggestions, but honestly, I'd say this is a personality thing, and he's probably never going to change this about himself, unless he decides he has to. The best that can be done is to come up with some accommodations to deal with his boredom:
- Emphasize how getting the assignment done immediately gets it out of the way so he can move on to fun things worry-free, and that you won't have to bug him about it.
- Give him some distractions while he works. It sounds counter-intuitive, but if he can distract himself from the boredom for moments at a time, it'll allow him to be less tortured while doing the work, which will in turn help him stay focused and on task. Sure, it'll take him longer this way, but since he already works very quickly, it's not really an issue. Music has always worked best for me.
