Son struggling any Suggestions?

Hi,

My son has always been homeschooled and is in the 4th grade (9 yrs old).  We have used CM methods since the 1st grade, first 2 were AO then last 2 SCM.

One of the reasons we switched to SCM was because I felt that AO books were just to “big” for him.  Narrations were so tough. When we switched, they were much better.  However he still struggles and I often feel like he isn’t getting it.  Even when I explain it to him.  For example, today we did Lesson 9 in ‘106 days of Creation’.  He could not explain to me what happened, so I explained the Nitrogen took over the oxygen, therefore the flame went out and the water rose up.  I did this in different ways 4 times.  I then asked him what two gases? In which he could not answer.  It is not just his Narrations that I am concerned with, but all across the board he is not making connections with his school work.

He did the CAT test last year and scored very low in comprehension.  He loves to read and reads very well, I am diligent in sticking to “short” lessons, at times even shortening it down to 5 min, to see if He connects. He struggles with focusing but I feel that is more out of boredom then ADD or anything like that.

I feel like the last two weeks have been worse and school is very choppy because I am getting so frustrated.  We use MEP for math, year 2.  This week at the beginning he needed to write some numbers in increasing order, circling the smallest and the largest number.  Which he has done many times and I felt he understood the concept.  He looked at me like a deer in the headlights, sat there struggling for over 5 minutes, looked at me and said I don’t know what to do?  But he does!! I put 1-5 on the board mixed up, asked him to put them into order in increasing order, which he did.  I asked what the smallest number was, he told me 1, largest, he told me 5.  I encouraged him to then do his paper, again he just started to cry and said he couldn’t do it and he hates math.

I am at a loss of what to do, but need to figure out something quickly as we are acomplishing nothing.  Neither of my other kids struggled like this at all, both girls.  I am getting so frustrated that we don’t get anything else done after a melt down, or feel like I completely just wasted time and nothing stuck. 

Any suggestions or thoughts?