Sherlock Academy
Sherlock Academy · Blooming Minds STEAM Academy
Read like a detective. Answer like one, too.
A year-long reading and SAT preparation course for students from 7th grade, taught through the Sherlock Holmes stories. Every week, students solve a real case from the books and practice the habit the SAT rewards most: backing every answer with evidence.
Why Sherlock Holmes?
The SAT rewards one habit above all. Holmes had it first.
Holmes never guesses. He looks closely, separates what he sees from what he assumes, and proves his answer before he says it. That is exactly what the Reading and Writing section of the digital SAT asks of students.
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.”Sherlock Holmes, “A Scandal in Bohemia”
So instead of drilling worksheets, our students work alongside Holmes and Watson. Each lesson turns a scene from the books into one clear skill, and every skill comes back in later weeks so it sticks.
What your child learns
Three skills, built every single week
Reading with evidence
Main ideas, inferences, an author’s purpose, comparing two texts, reading tables and graphs, and finding the one line that proves an answer.
Words in context
Ten new words every lesson, 250 by May. Earlier words keep coming back, so students remember them long after the test.
Grammar that scores
A new grammar skill each lesson: sentence boundaries, punctuation, agreement and transitions, always reviewed again in later weeks.
A week at Baker Street
One case. One skill. Every Monday.
Monday class
A new case and a new skill, taught live from 3:45 to 5:15.
Homework online
Detective activities, SAT- and ACT-style practice, and a short piece of writing on our course website.
Clues and awards
Strong work earns clues to a long-running mystery that students solve over each trimester.
Family Case
Parents get a short whodunit to solve at home together, and a note on what their child is learning.
The casebook
Real stories, read in full
Students read Arthur Conan Doyle’s own words, from the first meeting of Holmes and Watson to the hound on the moor.
Progress you can see
Three timed checks. One clear picture.
Each check is built like one module of the digital SAT’s Reading and Writing section: 27 questions in 32 minutes.
The Entrance Examination
Where your child starts, skill by skill. Nothing counts against them.
The Inspector’s Review
The same kind of test at midyear, so you can see exactly what has grown.
The Last Examination
The final check, side by side with November.
We report progress skill by skill. We never predict an SAT score, and we don’t promise one: we build the skills the test measures.
Try it free · no sign-up
Can your family solve this week’s case?
Five people were in the room. One of them took it. Read their stories, check the floor plan, and rule people out until only one is left. About 20 minutes, best done together.
Enroll
Call us to join the class
We would love to meet your detective. Call to reserve a place, ask about tuition, and get answers to any questions. Classes start Monday, November 9.
Prefer email? Write to contact@bmasteam.com
Blooming Minds STEAM Academy LLC · 593 N. Wolf Rd., Wheeling, IL 60090
Questions parents ask
Good questions. Here are the answers.
Is 7th grade too early for SAT preparation?
Not the way we teach it. The skills the SAT tests (careful reading, vocabulary, grammar, using evidence) are the same skills that lift schoolwork now. Starting early means there is no cramming later.
My child doesn’t like reading. Will this work?
The course is built around mysteries, with pictures, puzzles and games in every lesson. Students read to solve something, not just to answer questions.
How much homework is there?
A set of online activities each week, planned to fit around school. The teacher sees every answer and adjusts.
What if we miss a Monday?
Every lesson stays available online, and the teacher will help your child catch up.
How much does it cost?
Please call us at (847) 947-8804. We will explain tuition and answer any questions about the course.
Does my child need any special software?
No. A web browser is all they need, and Zoom on the online weeks.
Is this connected to the College Board?
No. SAT® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this course. All our questions are original.
SAT® is a trademark registered by the College Board, and ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. Neither is affiliated with, or endorses, Sherlock Academy or Blooming Minds STEAM Academy LLC.
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