ELD specifically relates initially to the kid's brain not having set up the proper filing system in their heads, like other kids do naturally. So, simple things are sorted into categories initially to help them set up a system from which to pull information. And there's today's lesson.;) My DS can give very quick/witty responses as well; but explaining something he just read gets the response "I don't know." He does great on multiple choice questions about stories; but he cannot recant it unless he's read it a bunch of times. True/False is difficult as well if there is a small difference in the statement about a story.
