Have students pick the books to read. Compile a large selection of first grade-level books from which to choose. Divide the class into groups of three, four or more, and have them come together and decide which books interest them.
Go to each group and encourage discussions on what the group just read. Ask them questions about the story and their opinions. Have the students write down a question they have about the story or characters.
Get the student groups to organize a small theatrical play based on their favorite scene in the story. Having the students produce a theatrical play allows them to explore the text in a more interactive way that brings the stories to life.
Encourage the students to read out loud when grouped. Have the students in this group alternate reading out loud between passages. Like producing a class play, reading out loud, as opposed to reading silently and alone, makes reading a more-interactive experience. Students can also elect to voice different characters in the story.
Create games surrounding the books the class has read. For example, read a piece of dialogue from a character aloud and have students guess which character said it. These games can also be used for bonus points or extra credit on grades.