The idea takes shape
The mission begins with the belief that patient, individualized reading help can change a reader's confidence and independence.
Skilldome Corporation
The company behind Dr. Read.
Skilldome builds literacy tools for real reading moments: the page at the kitchen table, the paragraph that feels too hard, the book a reader wants to finish, and the question they may be afraid to ask out loud.
Dr. Read is Skilldome's flagship focus: a voice-first reading tutor that listens as a reader reads aloud, helps with pronunciation and comprehension, and keeps support private and calm. Skilldome has also built ReadCheck, a related reading-comprehension product that turns photographed pages into practice.
Founded
2023
Flagship
Dr. Read
Focus
Literacy support
History
Built from a simple conviction: patient reading help should not be rare.
Skilldome began in late 2023 from a founder insight shaped by dyslexia, one-on-one tutoring, and the gap between what works for readers and what many families can realistically access.
Literacy advocacy
Co-founder Thore Weber with Oliver James, literacy advocate and author of Unread, as Dr. Read begins engaging with the literacy advocacy community.
Skilldome forms and early products launch
Skilldome Corporation forms and early reading tools explore analysis, text-to-speech, reading timers, font settings, flashcards, and exportable results.
ReadCheck expands the product family
ReadCheck grows as a photographed-page comprehension product while the development team begins work on Dr. Read V2, a fully voice-based tutoring concept.
Voice-first reading support advances
ReadCheck grows to support over 4,000 families on their reading journey, while Dr. Read V2 advances toward a tutor experience that listens as a reader reads aloud, including key progress around syllable-level support.
Dr. Read introduces voice-based tutoring
Dr. Read introduces a first-of-its-kind voice-based reading tutor to the world, bringing calm, private support beside the page for readers and families.
Mission and vision
Mission
To give every reader patient, private, and personalized support at the moment they need it.
Vision
A world where every child can become a confident, independent reader because help is available wherever reading happens.
Why we are doing this
Too many readers struggle silently before help arrives.
Reading help is often available only to families who can afford private tutoring, have time to sit beside a child, or know how to intervene early. That leaves too many readers stuck in the hardest part alone: the exact moment when a word, sentence, or page stops making sense.
Skilldome exists to make that moment feel different. Reading support should feel private, patient, calm, encouraging, and available when the reader needs it. It should feel like someone is sitting beside the reader, not judging them, rushing them, or turning practice into another test.
The problem in depth
The best reading support is personal, but personal support is hard to scale.
Teachers, tutors, parents, and schools do important work. The challenge is that none of them can be everywhere at once, and many readers need help in small, repeated moments that happen between formal instruction.
Limited tutor access
Good one-on-one support is expensive, hard to schedule, and unavailable to many families.
Stigma
Many readers feel embarrassed when they struggle out loud or need repeated help.
Delayed intervention
Reading problems often grow before consistent support arrives.
One-size-fits-all tools
Static worksheets and fixed passages cannot respond to the reader in real time.
Parent bandwidth
Parents may care deeply but not always have the time, training, or patience a hard reading moment requires.
Classroom constraints
Teachers cannot give every student continuous one-on-one attention during every reading session.
Old solutions vs. the new way
Dr. Read brings voice-first reading support beside the page.
Traditional reading support often asks the reader to leave the page, wait for feedback, or work through a fixed exercise. Dr. Read is designed for the moment reading is actually happening.
Older approach
Voice-first reading support
Scheduled tutoring
Support that can be available between tutoring sessions and human instruction.
Worksheets and flashcards
Help tied to the reader's own book, article, homework page, or everyday text.
Fixed-passage apps
A flexible session built around the pages the reader brings.
Waiting for feedback
Spoken support at the moment pronunciation, meaning, or confidence gets stuck.
Public correction
Private practice where retrying feels normal and low-pressure.
Test-prep style tools
Reading as conversation: listen, ask, clarify, and keep going.
Dr. Read supports readers between moments of human instruction.
It is built with empathy for dyslexic and struggling readers, without narrowing support to one label.
It helps readers practice with more confidence and support, without promising a guaranteed outcome.
Founders
Built by founders who believe every reader deserves patient, one-on-one support.
Founders
Co-founders Thore (left) and Augustine (right) have been developing technology together for the last decade, since first meeting in engineering school. They share a passion for democratizing access to high-quality reading support.
Co-Founder & CEO
Thore Weber
Thore is the founder and CEO of Skilldome Corporation. He grew up with dyslexia and experienced firsthand how powerful patient one-on-one reading support can be. He is building Dr. Read to make the kind of support that helped him become a confident reader available to every reader and family who needs it.
Co-Founder & CTO
Augustine Summe
Augustine is the founder and CTO of Skilldome Corporation. He is a technical leader who leads the technology behind Dr. Read's voice-first reading experience. He brings a deep passion for improving the education system through tools that feel useful, human, and accessible in the moments learners need support.