Welcome to Mr. Crutchfield's 4th Grade Classroom!
Email: crutcky@tulsaschools.org
Website: eisenhower.tulsaschools.org
About Me
My name is Mr. Crutchfield, and I will be your English Language Arts teacher this year! This will be my seventh year teaching ELA at Eisenhower. I have taught both fifth and fourth grade, and I love them both! I am a Tulsa native, born and raised. I attended Union High School and later the University of Tulsa, where I graduated with a degree in communications. In my free time you'll find me reading (novels, short stories, and memoirs are my favorites!), sipping coffee, and cuddling with my two cats. My goal as your teacher is to show you that reading and life go hand in hand. When you open a book, you open your mind and your heart to the world!
About My Class
We will be using the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) English Language Arts curriculum for my class. HMH utilizes stories of various genres, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other media including videos, to engage students in the wonder of reading and exploring the world. HMH focuses broadly on three key areas of reading: vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. We will focus on each of these critical components of reading throughout the year. Parents, you will have opportunities to reinforce your child's learning in these areas at home. I will get to that shortly. :)
Weekly Newsletter
Each week we will focus on one story from HMH. Students will use only two books for my class: their HMH reader (which contains all the stories) and their Know It Show It workbook. The Know It Show It workbook dives deeper into the vocabulary of the story and covers other essential state reading standards like grammar, elements of plot, text structure, figurative language, point of view and so forth. I will send out a newsletter at the beginning of each week so you know what story we are reading, as well as what topics we will be covering in our workbooks. The newsletter will also contain class projects and ways parents can help out in the classroom. Here is an example newsletter. :)
Materials for My Class
Other than your brain, of course, you will need the following items to be successful in my class. Parents, if you have the means to donate, I have included those additional materials in parentheses.
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#2 pencil (three packs)
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Eraser (three packs)
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Notebook (three, wide-spaced)
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Tissue (three boxes)
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Copy paper (two reams)
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Highlighters (one pack)
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Colored pencils (one pack)
Monthly Birthday Celebrations
At the end of each month, we will celebrate all student birthdays for that month. Parents, if it is your child's birthday month, you are welcome to bring a goodie for the class to share. Please make sure there are enough goodies for everyone to have at least one! I have had parents bring cupcakes, chips, and juice pouches in the past. I will post the date of each month's birthday celebration in the parent newsletter. If you would like to visit my classroom and help with celebrations, please email me beforehand at crutcky@tulsaschools.org :)
More About My Class
The rules for my class are the same rules for all Eisenhower Dolphins: S.W.I.M. That means students should always: Show respect, Work together, Inspire integrity, and Make smart choices. Please make sure you are having conversations with your child about how they S.W.I.M. in school. There is NO HOMEWORK required in my class. :) Students should have enough time to complete all work during class. However, if a student is absent, they will need to complete any missing work at home. There are additional opportunities for students to extend their learning while at home. The following slides will show ways in which parents can reinforce their child's learning in key areas of vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension.
Parents, What Can You Do at Home?
Vocabulary: Each week, we will focus on one story from HMH. Each story will contain key vocabulary words from the story. Every Monday, students will take home a vocabulary sheet containing that week's words. Review the words (including pronunciations), definitions, and parts of speech with your child. On Friday, students will have a quiz over that week's vocabulary words. Please review the vocabulary words each week with your child so that they can excel on their quizzes each week. :)
Parents, What Can You Do at Home?
Fluency: Every Monday I will pass out a fluency passage to the students. An example passage can be seen on the right. Your child will read the fluency passage of the week out loud to you. Allow your child to read at a pace that is comfortable to them. Be patient as your child sounds out the words; it is important to give them the space to try and sound out the words on their own. The goal is to get them reading smoothly, with expression and comprehension, on their own. You may, of course, guide them when necessary. Once your child has read the passage, you will sign on the paper for that day. You will complete this process each night, Monday-Thursday. Students who bring their fluency passages back on Friday with all parent/guardian signatures present will receive a bonus point on Friday's quiz!
Parents, What Can You Do at Home?
Comprehension: Each week, we will focus on one story from HMH. Each story contains three discussion questions. Every Monday, I will send the discussion questions (as well as the vocabulary) from that week's story home with the students. Students can bring their readers home to read the week's story with you. Briefly discuss each question with your child, and listen attentively to their responses. Allow them to respond on their own; avoid the urge to interrupt or direct them toward your answer, but do guide them if they start to get off track. An example comprehension question from our first story, Flora & Ulysses can be seen on the right. Your child does NOT have to type or write out their responses; it is only necessary for them to answer orally. However, you may have your child write out their responses, if you wish.
Additional Reading Resources
Accelerated Reader (AR): AR is a great program that can be done at home. Students can log in through their Clever accounts. Here is a link, as well. AR is a fantastic way to support reading comprehension. Each AR book your child reads has a companion quiz to check for understanding.
Epic!: Epic! is a fantastic at-home reading resource. Students can access my class (link) and select a story to read. There are companion quizzes, as well, to check for comprehension. There is even a read to me option, so students can build vocabulary and fluency skills as they read along with the narrator! (Epic also links to AR!)
Amira: Amira is a fluency-strengthening online application. Students can access Amira through the HMH Ed Learning app on their Clever account (link). Students will have short passages to read out loud. This is a great way for your child to build their fluency and confidence when reading aloud.
