[Verse 1] There's a book upon the table, pages waiting just for me Shapes and lines like little puzzles, what could all these letters be? Mama says they have a secret, every curve and every line When you put them all together, they can speak and they can shine [Chorus ] I'm learning how to read, one letter at a time Turning shapes into sounds, watching words come alive Every page is a doorway, every story's a key I'm learning how to read, and the whole world's opening for me [Verse 2] C-A-T spells cat, like the one that's on my bed B-O-O-K spells book, all the stories in my head Sometimes I get it backwards, sometimes I need to try again But every time I sound it out, I'm closer to the end [Chorus ] I'm learning how to read, one letter at a time Turning shapes into sounds, watching words come alive Every page is a doorway, every story's a key I'm learning how to read, and the whole world's opening for me [Bridge ] It's okay to go slow, it's okay to ask why Every reader starts somewhere, learning how to fly From letters to sentences, from sentences to dreams Reading takes me anywhere, further than it seems [Chorus ] I'm learning how to read, one letter at a time Turning shapes into sounds, watching words come alive Every page is a doorway, every story's a key I'm learning how to read, and the whole world's opening for me [Outro ] Now I hold my favorite story, and I read it on my own All those letters that were strangers, now they feel just like home I'm a reader, I'm an explorer, I can go where I believe All because I kept on trying, all because I learned to read