Use readers' theatre to introduce literature to children. Adapt any age-appropriate book for your classroom students by rewriting it in a script format. Use dialogue directly from the story and add narrators to read the other parts of the book that are not in dialogue format. For older students, ask them to write their own script based on the story you choose. Perform the readers' theater script as a class.
Children's literature is adapted and performed at many children's theaters across the country. Shows such as "The Nutcracker" are often performed by local dance companies. Research productions of popular children's literature in your community and plan a class field trip to see one of them. Enlist the help of parents and other teachers to chaperone the field trip. After the show, discuss the interpretation of the literature you saw versus the original story in written form.
Young children benefit from reading literature in big book form. Big books are large-scale published children's literature intended for group reading activities. Bring your class together and introduce a big book to the class. Read it together and invite students to read along when they see words they know. This activity is appropriate for younger children, since big books tend to be geared towards early readers.
Establish a reading center in your classroom. Allow students to explore the children's literature you place in the center on their own. Presenting the literature in this manner allows students to feel comfortable and secure when investigating the books. They may be more likely to explore literature that is difficult for them. This method, combined with others, is an excellent one for presenting various children's books in your classroom.