ABOVE THE BAR
Empowering Educational Excellence
OUR HISTORY
Service since 2004
Dr. Shirani de-Alwis Chand was the founder and director for Loma Linda University’s Teaching and Learning Center for over 10 years. Her outstanding success at the University inspired her to offer these services to a larger population. Currently, her organization, Above The Bar attracts students in Southern California and around the nation and has provided services since 2004.
Above The Bar is a resource that integrates brain-compatible learning techniques for students from Grade School to Graduate School. Dr. Shirani de-Alwis Chand created these methods to improve reading comprehension and speed using active ways of learning. These life-changing techniques improve memory, promote self-motivation, teach test-taking skills reducing anxiety, and encourage self-regulation. It was one of the first programs that integrated music, movement, and rhythm when teaching dyslexic students how to decode words.
As the reputation of Above The Bar grew, medical and dental schools such as Loma Linda University (LLU), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and University of Southern California (USC) referred their students to work with Dr. Shirani de Alwis-Chand. She has helped scores of graduate students pass their National Board exams.
The results of Dr. Shirani de-Alwis Chand’s unique methods are demonstrated by dramatic changes in students’ attitudes toward learning and increases in their academic performance. She utilizes personable and fun-filled sessions tailored to each students’ needs and she continues to promote active learning. She inspires individuals from across the world to engage in lifelong learning that helps students optimize their life success.
WHAT WE DO
Academic success for all ages and grades.
Brain-compatible techniques for learning use methods that are congruent with how the brain works naturally. The student is made aware of how the brain works, and the methods demonstrated with the student’s learning material makes the learning more meaningful and efficient. Examples include:
- Your brain works best with organized, concise information. Brain compatible techniques for learning stresses efficient and organized processing of information so long-term memorization is made possible.
- Learning occurs best when constant and immediate feedback is provided. Brain compatible learning stresses self-testing and active critical thinking to maximize your results.
- Adhering to practical, detailed goals are necessary to complete complex tasks. Brain compatible learning focuses on the creation and commitment to daily goals that maximize the learning gained.
High school, College, and Graduate School students benefit from the program because the volume of material they are required to master at each of the stages of learning, requires quick-paced, accurate thinking with the ability to retrieve information on a long-term basis. Other aspects of academic success such as time management, coping with test-anxiety, and motivation for excellence are addressed.
A well planned diet can facilitate learning at its maximum potential. Diet affects memory, moods, and concentration. Specific foods and dietary patterns are discussed to enable the student to make good choices. Students will discover which foods maximize their potential for learning and which ones can hinder their efforts to learn effectively.
FIND OUT MORE
GETTING STARTED
Start the journey for academic success today