Begin by asking children to watch a blank TV screen or even a blank space on a wall as you read aloud. Encourage them to imagine they are watching a television show about the story you are reading. After a short time, take a commercial break and ask, "What did you see in your television program?"
As you continue reading, remind children to watch the blank screen and to "run the movies" as you read. You are accomplishing two important tasks. First, you are attaching reading to the familiar and pleasant act of television viewing. In a way, you are attaching to schema (something children know and enjoy). Second, you are teaching them to use pictures to attach meaning to words. Since good readers imagine or picture ideas as they read, you want to cultivate this concept in the minds of children. This is as important for older children with poor comprehension as it is for emerging readers.
Some children access the internal screen with eyes closed. Others visualize better by staring at a blank space. Ultimately, you want them to use the screen even when they are reading words independently.