"You Can Learn to Read" - video

My sister, Kristi Parker Hazelrigg, the media specialist at Parkview Elementary School in Midwest City, Oklahoma, wrote and sang the lyrics (see below for the words) to this song.  It's based on Taylor Swift's, "You Belong with Me".  Kristi also produced the video, which stars Maggie Place, one of our little cousins.

I think this is adorable and I hope you do, too!  It's a great way to introduce children to the joys of reading and offers just the right encouragement.  Please feel free to share the video with one and all.  Maybe it will go viral.  Wouldn't that be something!  :D
 

You  Can Learn to Read 

Inspired by Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me”; new lyrics by Kristi Hazelrigg 

You’re staring at the page and you’re upset

You can’t understand a single word that it says

You just can’t read the story like they do

You’re in your room, it’s a typical day, you’re bored

You need to read to let your imagination soar

But you just can’t read the stories like they do

So many good books, open up and take a look

But with silent E's, Q's and U's, you’re getting confused

Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find

That you can make some sense out of all those little lines

If you could see how all those letters work together

Line ‘em up and sound ‘em out, then you’d see

You can learn to read, you can learn to read

Reading all the words and knowing what they mean

I can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be

Laughing on a park bench, reading to yourself--Hey, isn’t this easy?

There’s somethin’ ‘bout reading that can turn your life around

‘Specially when you find a book that you can’t put down

You say you’re fine, I know you better than that

I know you wanna read a book like that

History and dinosaurs, fairy tales, cookbooks

Animals and astronauts, Goosebumps and joke books

Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find

That you can make some sense out of all those little lines

If you could see how all those letters work together

Line ‘em up and sound ‘em out, then you’d see

You can learn to read

Standing by and watching how your mom reads

All this time, how could you not know, baby?

You can learn to read, you can learn to read

Oh, pretty soon you’ll be reading ‘neath the covers in the middle of the night

All the books that make you laugh and the books that make you cry

You’ll have your favorite ones and you’ll share them with your friends

Think I know it won’t be long, think I know how this will end….

Junie B., Green Eggs & Ham, Ramona Quimby

Ferdinand, Anansi and Winn Dixie need you to learn to read

Miss Rumphius, Frindle, Max and all the Wild Things

Charlotte, Wilbur, and Tuck Everlasting need

You to learn to read, you can learn to read

You can learn to read

Have you ever thought just maybe you can learn to read?

You can learn to read!