Brady- 5.4

ACTIVITY 5. 4

THEO’S GIFT RESPONSE

In the The Cosby Show’s episode entitled Theo’s Gift, we learn the character Theo Huxtable has a learning disability, specifically Dyslexia. In the opening scene, Theo is studying with his girlfriend, Justine. She breaks down preparing for his mythology test by asking him to define certain terms. He is able to explain each definition accurately. He also is able to retell certain thematic lessons he learned from his instructor.

Initially watching this episode. I thought Theo was prepared for his mythology test and would do well. His girlfriend, his dad, and himself thought the same. Unfortunately, as the show progresses, he and everyone else are proved wrong. Instead of acing the test how he felt he should have in the beginning of the episode, he gets a “C.” He is extremely discouraged because he feels he knew the material so well he could teach a class on it; however, the results from his test again prove otherwise.

Some of the issues Theo has with the test are that he does not understand the questions, feels the questions are confusing and not to the point, and lastly that the multiple choice tests is worded strangely in a way that does not apply to what he knows.

In the episode, it also gives a bird eyes view of how Theo’s parents feel. They feel extremely mixed emotions much like real life parents feel today. They want to build Theo’s confidence and do so by saying all people occasionally do poorly on a test. On the other hand, they also get on Theo saying he is too overly confident and is not concentrating enough on the test questions.

After Theo is diagnosed with a learning disability, they are somewhat relieved like real life parents are because now there is a reason for why their son is struggling. They also feel hope for Theo because he will get the necessary tools to study in college and therefore, will succeed.

In the later part of the show the counselor recommends some tips and accommodations for Theo to become more successful. These tips include writing a letter to all his teachers letting them know of his learning disability, tape recording lectures so Theo can re-listen to them, meeting with a specialist who can help him organize and structure his notes, and lastly, speaking with a other dyslexic students who have accommodations in place that are successful in the classroom. All of these help Theo go from a “C” on his test to a “B+.”