Boosting Student Success with After-School Tutoring

Tiffany Pressler • October 16, 2024

After-school reading tutoring provides students with the extra attention they need within the school setting to strengthen literacy skills, fostering their love for reading and building a strong foundation for academic success.

San Diego Country Estates resident Cheryl Schlauch has been a Terrific Tutor for three years with Oasis, a volunteer intergenerational tutoring program that works in partnership with Ramona Unified School District. The program pairs adults with children between the ages of six and nine in 1st-3rd grades from Ramona Schools.

 

Oasis pairs older adults with children to provide free weekly academic support and mentorship. Volunteers meet one-on-one with students during the school day, serving as reading tutors, mentors, and positive role models. Tutors can choose if they want one student or multiple students. The tutor spends 45 minutes to an hour with each student individually. Oasis provides a session plan and materials, such as pencils, craft paper, glue, and markers, to help with the exercises in each session.

 

RUSD and Oasis have partnered for over twenty years with the goal of strengthening children's language skills—their ability to read, write, and speak—through focused and individualized attention. According to Schlauch, the program benefits include comradery, confidence, improved reading, writing skills, interaction, social skills, and more. It supplements the efforts of schools and parents in multiple ways. Not only does it provide reading and socialization, but it also provides one-on-one interaction that the student may not get at home if they have a busy family life.

 

Oasis provides volunteers with a package that includes a book, a session plan, crayons, and/or markers. Depending on the child's age, the tutor may read to the student, or the student may read to the tutor. In the session, they discuss the book, what the student liked or disliked, and the characters and themes. "One example is my 3rd-grade student who was to write a message to his father in a secret code. We were reading a book called, 'Third Grade Detectives.' It was fun for both of us," says Schlauch.

 

Schlauch has tutored at James Dukes and Barnett Elementary School. Previously, she worked as a certified Human Resources Professional for over 35 years. "That means I took testing and achieved that title and can put letters after my name, such as 'Cheryl Schlauch, PHR.' But I don't do that now since I'm retired," she says. Her journey as an Oasis volunteer started when she saw an advertisement in the Ramona Sentinel for Oasis expressing a need for tutors. She wanted to give back to the community, help children be successful readers, and give them a good start in life.

 

The Ramona Oasis community is a wonderfully vibrant and committed group, and they are looking for volunteers 55 and older. Their motto is: "One child, one tutor, one school year. Two lives forever changed." Those interested in volunteering do not need to have a background in education, but they do need to be available to commit to a weekly one-hour session with their assigned student. Quarterly tutor enrichment meetings are held at the district offices on Ninth Street, where tutors share ideas and learn strategies for increasing student learning.

 

New tutors are required to attend a tutor training session and complete a LiveScan background check and TB screening before working with children. Please contact the RUSD Oasis Coordinator, Edie Chapman, at 760-787-2064 or echapman@ramonausd.net for more information. Tutor materials and training are provided for volunteers at no cost.

 

Oasis volunteers can change the trajectory of a student's future in education through their weekly investment of time and attention. By nurturing a love for reading and providing tailored support, Oasis equips students with the literacy skills they need to thrive in and beyond the classroom. 

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