Jack's vocabulary assignment

Me: Jack, why did you get all these answers wrong. All you had to do was choose the word that means the same thing as the underlined word in the sentence. Use the context of the sentence to figure out the answer. Jack: I don't know what any of those words mean. Me: Actually, yes you do. You know what 'provide' means. You know what these other words mean too." Jack: Oh. Ya. Me: Well, Jack if you don't start doing your best work at school, then you are going to have to have a punishment, us making you redo your work when you get home. And when you bring home A's, then you can lie in my bed and I will read 2 chapters of a book to you. Jack: Well, mom, you should have told me that sooner! I mean, if I knew you were going to punish me I would not let my grades be so bad. And if I knew you would read chapters to me, I would be doing better. We have missed a step somewhere. How did we not portray to him that school is a serious thing? But everyone needs their motivation I guess. And I guess if being read to by mom, and the fear of more work motivates him, then that's not so bad.