Mar 20

Mar 20 Slice of Life: Day 20 - Have You Found Reverse Uno Moments in Your Texts? #SOL22 #TWTBlog

These third graders could not contain themselves. They needed to express their outrage for Rubina.

Readers it sounds like you need to talk back to the text. Go ahead – turn and talk it out.

I walk around listening to their conversations, appreciating how these readers have adapted to small group conversations with masks and distance. When there is a lull I begin,

Wow! You certainly have something to say about what is happening. Who can get us started on a conversation?

He immediately signals and I nod.

It is like a Reverse Uno card.

I have now gone from confidently expecting to join a spirited conversation to being completely confused. I ask for clarification guessing I must have misheard this reader.

Can you say that again?

I move closer.

What is happening in the story … it is like a Reverse Uno card.

Ok. I have confirmed two things. I heard correctly and I am confused. I nod trying to convince myself this makes sense and to encourage the reader to elaborate.

Will you say more about this? It sounds like you are on to something.

All eyes are now on this reader.

OK. Have you ever played Uno?

Yes.

Lots of heads nod.

We play during indoor recess. There is a card called Reverse Uno. If you get that card everything that is happening reverses back to the person who did it to you. Right now, in the story, this is a Reverse Uno moment between Rubina and Sana.

Response ripples across the community of readers as we all have our “Aha” moments. Once again, partnerships begin to talk it out and I let it happen. They make connections between the card game and the turning point in this text. They also begin to think about other texts that have Reverse Uno moments. I feel a new text set emerging and once again I am reminded how important it is to listen to our students. I know I will now notice and name these interactions between characters as Reverse Uno moments.