To measure the impact of its daily reading program in primary schools in Laos, Big Brother Mouse ran a randomized, controlled trial (RCT), with before-and-after tests in schools that got the program, which it compared with schools that did not. This photo shows one of the testing techniques: Sitan held up a card with a large simple word, and everyone was encouraged to read it aloud. He identified the first child to say it, who then moved behind him, and he proceeded to a new word with the students remaining. After he showed three words in a row which none of the remaining children could read, he concluded that they represented the portion of the class that could not read at all. The game approach was used because it overcame the shyness and nervousness that otherwise tended to inhibit performance. As this photo reveals, girls generally read better than boys.