Q: My second grade son chooses not to do his schoolwork sometimes. He distracts the class or plays with his pencil instead. Other days he is on task. How do I motivate him or change his behaviors, and what causes the changes from good to bad days and back again?

A: Since your son's avoidance behavior — this clowning around or playing with pencils — is inconsistent, you will have to do some detective work to determine the causes for his behaviors. There could be a very simple problem or the cause could be much more complex, but it is at least gratifying to know that he is working appropriately some of the time. You will want to be sure to emphasize to him that you and his dad are pleased with his hard work and would like him to do such good work everyday.

A talk with your son's teacher can give you some further insight. You could ask her if there are certain times of day when he seems less attentive or more hard-working than other times, or whether this happens more during math, reading or social studies, or before or after recess. Also, you could ask her to send you a quick email message on the especially good days or bad days to let you know at which point in the day your son experienced a behavioral change.

If you take notes on all this information, you may be able to discover a pattern. You might find that the inattention problems arise when he is tired from play or has been sitting for a long time, or perhaps during math more than verbal subjects or vice-versa, depending on what feels difficult for him. Even the food he eats for breakfast or lunch that day could set him off differently if his behavior patterns change during the morning or afternoon. After you collect the data you could begin to ask your son some related questions. Perhaps he is finding writing difficult, or timed math tests may cause him some stress. If his problem is subject specific, you could help him practice that subject work at home until he gains more confidence, or if it's time of day related, you might give him some tips on how to relax or concentrate that could help him. You can also use a sticker reward system for his good days and tell him how proud you are of him.

Of course, I cannot promise that your analysis will uncover the problem, but it will definitely provide you with more information that you can use to share with a child psychologist if you decide to move forward for a further, more comprehensive evaluation. That would be the next step if you can't find the root of the problem on your own or if these suggestions are not effective.

For free newsletters or articles entitled Learning Disabilities, ADHD and/or Discipline for Little, Middle and Big Kids, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below. Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or [email protected]. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.