Hi there, I am a special education teacher and, of course, a mother. There may be many things at play here. First, he is a boy, and they tend to be a bit more precocious at this age. Also, his distractibility could be due to boredom or an attentiveness issue. Many kids with ADD/HD are very intelligent, but lack the ability to stay focused. Moving the student's desk is an intervention the teacher is using to see if it helps, rather than rush to refer him to special education. Furthermore, having one-on-one assistance aides the child in maintaining focus to complete a task. It is not enabling at this age, but one must be careful. Don't give him the answer, give him the tools to find the answer. Use visual aides and manipulatives to explain concepts. Students with attentiveness problems often end up falling behind academically despite their ability and intelligence. I would recommend the parents get a private tutor for the child. Battles over help with homework may lessen if it is a third party, preferrably someone male who can act as a role model. Also, having to do homework for children with ADD/HD (if this ends up being the case) is painful. They have been trying hard all day to maintain focus and it is tough stuff to manage, so it feels like punishment to do homework in this case. You could talk to the teacher about lessening the amount of homework he needs to do or shortening his assignments. Also ask the teacher how many hands-on activities he/she does with the class. Is the student utilized as a helper/leader in the classroom? These things will help manage his classroom behaviors and may ignite his interest in school work.
On a final note, after a long day away from home, kids need to reconnect with their home and their loved ones. Allow the child to play and play with him for 30-60 minutes before starting homework. Remember, school is a full work day and it feels that way for kids. Homework is like working overtime. It's exhausting and no one should have to do it everyday.
If you think there is someone underlying, like ADD/HD, see a medical doctor for diagnosis. Medication can be helpful at this age along with clear boundary setting and high expectations. As he gets older, medication can be weened and he can learn to control his impulses and running thoughts. See the PBS website Misunderstood Minds for a simulation of what it is like to have ADHD.
Hope this helps.
A. B.