Some are miracle workers; some are not. It sort of depends on his situation, whether he is basically of normal intelligence, with learning difficulties, or if he is of lower intelligence. In the latter case, there is still a lot he can accomplish, with high but realistic expectations. If he is of the former, obviously more can be done, and sometimes there are ways of teaching differently. The main thing is to make sure he develops his strengths, which could be mechanics, carpentry,things like that, rather than constantly focusing on areas he has problems in, like reading or math, although you don't want to ignore those either. As long as you are in good shape, going through your situation, I can't think of a better experience for a boy than to spend a few months with his father, especially if it means spending some times with ailing grandparents etc...offset by fun things..six flags over wherever you are etc. I doubt there is a whole lot anyone learns in the last few months of a middle school year. mg