Editor's note: Ron Fletcher, an English teacher at Boston College High School, writes the Ask The Teacher column for the Globe and regularly answers reader questions in Boston.com Q&A chats.

By Ron Fletcher

Q. My son had a pretty good year as a high school freshman, but he's now struggling as a sophomore. It's not just the increased amount of work; it's his lack of enthusiasm for school in general. Is this sort of thing common? How can I help him?
C.A., Scituate

A. The sophomore slump is not a myth. With so much hoopla surrounding freshman year, the start of sophomore year can seem both anticlimactic and daunting, particularly on the heels of summer's ease and freedoms.

With the novelty of high school faded, it's difficult for many sophomores to muster enthusiasm for what looks like a long slog of a year.

More, the myriad programs, support structures, and orientation that most schools provide freshmen often dwindle to a few group visits with a guidance counselor. The first quarter can challenge, if not overwhelm, the student who lacks initiative and independence or who never found his footing as a freshman.

You can help by checking in with your son, as a concerned parent, not an inquisitor. Let him explain what he sees as the difficulties with classes in particular and school in general.

Collaborate on a reasonable, modest change of approach, such as seeking extra help for a subject or joining a school club. Allow him to believe that any change is his idea, not your decree.

Resist the temptation to call teachers and counselors at this point, a move that probably would add to your son's stress. Remind him of his successes as a freshman and your confidence in his ability.

Give him the first quarter to find his stride. Often it takes only an academic success, new hobby, or unexpected friendship to end such a slump.

If your son's lack of interest in school persists and is accompanied by erratic sleep and appetite, irritability, and feelings of worthlessness, meet with your pediatrician to discuss the possibility of depression.

Q. The high school students to whom I teach English are poor readers and writers who struggle specifically with grammar. I'd love to move on to bigger and better things, like learning about literature and reading great books, but this problem remains.

What's the best way of addressing grammar and sentence-level writing problems? I could drill them to death, but then I'm afraid I'd lose them to boredom.
Anonymous

A. Yes, grammar can suck the air out of a classroom when presented in a vacuum. Put aside the formal text for a spell and present examples of how the subject is used and abused each day.

A bit of pandering may be in order, whether it's discussing a solecism used by an ESPN broadcaster, a lack of subject-verb agreement in a song lyric, or a misplaced comma in an ad.

There are plenty of websites tracking usage errors locally and nationally often with considerable wit and humor.

Next, assign and discuss a language column with your students, such as, William Safire's "On Language" or Jan Freeman's "The Word." Better yet, choose excerpts from the late, great David Foster Wallace's essay "Tense Present," a tour-de-force review of "A Dictionary of Modern American Usage." The high-octane humor of its opening list-cum-litany of common errors will allow you to reach the most reluctant student.

Next, bring in some of your favorite sentences to demonstrate how a well-placed semi-colon or em dash can make all the difference. Limit the number of minutes spent on grammar in the abstract and thread it through your discussion of literature as well as school announcements.

Present the subject of grammar as a part of - rather than apart from - everything you read.

Ron Fletcher teaches English at Boston College High. To submit a question, e-mail him at rfletcher@bchigh.edu. Include your name, town, and e-mail address. Questions, upon request, can be printed anonymously.