Mine is really just like this too! Conceptually, he learns thing instantly... answers logical word problems without having to think and scoffs at the part where he is asked to "show his work"-- grasped multiplication intuititively but until very recently added on his fingers. Recently read every single word he could find in the library about pirates, but when pressed by me to write something about pirates, after much complaining and anxiety, wrote "pirits are cool" or something like that.

I also think it's learned behavior and stubborness, and I feel like it's getting harder and harder to reach him.